WHIPPOORWILL AND NIGHT HAWK 393 



thirty-three per cent of the stomach contents, weed seeds, twenty- 

 eight per cent, grain, thirty-eight per cent. 



Purple Grackle or Crow Blackbird (Plate 4, Fig. 18) eats white 

 grubs, grasshoppers, and other insects, including army worms; 

 but, like other blackbirds, it is capable of doing damage in grain 

 fields when present in large flocks. It is at such times that the 

 farmer is justified in protecting his crops by the judicious use of 

 the shotgun. However, the bird should not be classified as an 

 enemy to the farmer, because it is also known to do much good, 

 as indicated above. 



The crow blackbird is twelve inches long. It builds a coarse 

 nest of grass and mud, frequently in evergreens, or even in niches 

 in the cornices of buildings. 



King Bird. This is the policeman of our garden and orchard, 

 bravely attacking large hawks and crows which might be disposed 

 to mischief. It is a typical fly catcher and consumes enormous 

 numbers of bisects, thus deserving our protection at all times. 

 It must be admitted that it occasionally attacks honey bees, a 

 goodly proportion of which appear to be drones. Examination 

 of 634 stomachs shows only 61 bees in 22 stomachs; of these, 51 

 were drones. On the other hand, it devours robber flies which 

 catch and destroy honey bees. 



Its length is eight and one-half inches. The upper parts are 

 dark gray. It is almost black on the head, with a concealed flame- 

 colored crest on the head. Its under parts are whitish. 



Whippoorwill and Night Hawk. These two birds are some- 

 times confused by the uninitiated, but they are perfectly distinct 

 species. The coloring and markings of the two birds also serve 

 to distinguish them. The whippoorwilPs colors partake of the 

 browns, while the night hawk is grayish. The tail of the former has 

 the three outer feathers white for about two-thirds of their length. 

 The end of the tail is rounding. The night hawk has a conspicuous 

 white patch on each wing, and its tail is forked. The whippoor- 

 will feeds largely on moths and beetles; the night hawk on May 

 flies, gnats, dragon flies, grasshoppers. 



Both are insect-eaters. 



The Whippoorwill (Fig. 387) is not often seen, and is not very 

 well known. It is a bird of the woods. Unless disturbed it flies 

 only by night. It is characterized by its peculiar note, oft-repeated : 

 " Whip-poor-will! Whip-poor-will! Whip-poor-will!" with a 

 "cluck" or " chuck" before each call, audible to one close at hand. 



