548 The Roller-like Birds 



soaring through space without any apparent movement of its pinions, and again 

 its swift flight is accompanied by rapid flapping of the wings, and this is con- 

 stantly more or less varied by numerous twistings and turnings. I know of no 

 more interesting sight than to watch a number of Nighthawks, while engaged in 

 feeding, skimming close to the ground or over the waters of some pond or lake, 

 gliding along in all kinds of serpentine gyrations with the utmost grace and ease. 

 During the early spring the male frequently descends rapidly from high above, the 

 vibration caused by the air passing through the primaries producing a peculiar 

 booming sound which has been compared to that made by blowing through the 

 bung-hole of an empty barrel. It is amazing to see what perfect control these 

 birds have over themselves during this peculiar performance; descending as 

 they do almost with the rapidity of a lightning flash, one would think they 

 could not possibly arrest their downward course in time to prevent being 

 dashed to the ground; but at the proper moment, by a single reverse move- 

 ment of their wings, they rise in a gradual curve, to resume their flight or 

 repeat the performance." 



The Nighthawk feeds exclusively upon insects, such as flies, mosquitoes, 

 beetles, night-flying moths, etc., all of which are captured on the wing. Like 

 the rest of the Caprimulgidce, it makes no nest, but deposits its two handsome, 

 variously blotched and speckled eggs on the bare ground, often in exposed situa- 

 tions, or on flat rocks, in corn or potato fields and, in later years, on the gravel- 

 covered roofs of houses in the larger cities. While sitting the protective colora- 

 tion of the bird renders it inconspicuous, and often it does not flush until the 

 intruder is almost upon it, then with fluttering wings and low cries of distress the 

 bird tries to draw him away from the eggs. 



Slightly smaller and paler than the above is the Florida Nighthawk (C. v. 

 chapmani) of Florida and the Gulf coast, while still paler is Bennett's Nighthawk 

 (C. v. sennetti) of the Great Plains, and more rusty both above and below is the 

 Western Nighthawk (C. v. henryi] of the western United State's. The several 

 South American forms are distinguished in the main by having distinct rufous 

 markings on the wings in front of the conspicuous white patch; their habits, 

 however, do not appear to differ from those mentioned. Formerly included in 

 Chordeiles, but now placed in a genus by itself, is a very small South American 

 Nighthawk (N annochordeiles pusillus], which is only about six inches in length; 

 it is deep brown above, spotted and mottled with rusty. 



Eared Nightjars. Passing over a number of small and relatively unimportant 

 South American genera, mention should be made of an Old World genus which 

 falls within the group of those lacking the rictal bristles, namely, the Eared Night- 

 jars (Lyncornis), the seven species of which range from the eastern Himalayas 

 to New Guinea. As implied by the name, they are distinguished by the presence 

 of ear-tufts or aigrettes, which consist of a few elongated feathers just above and 

 behind the ear-coverts. The largest and perhaps best-known species is the Great 

 Eared Nightjar (L. cerviniceps) of some portions of India, a bird about sixteen 

 inches in length, rich brown and buff, beautifully mottled above, and buffy 

 barred with black below, set off by a large white spot on the throat. It frequents 



