The Rearing of the Night Hawk. 85 



after which she settled down to brood as if for the night. This young bird was fed but twice 

 each evening between the hours of eight and nine o'clock, and always, as I believe, by the 

 female. It is probable that another feeding time also occurs at dawn. During the earlier 

 hours the male would sometimes swoop down with terrific wing-blast as if to drive away 

 intruders, and he once came and sat by his chick for ten minutes after dusk without 

 causing any excitement. The task of feeding was borne by the mother, and her presence 

 never failed to excite the young. 



I tried to make a flash-light picture of the old and young bird interlocked in the feed- 

 ing process, and could easily have succeeded had my lamp been of a kind which showed 

 no light before the flash. 



In two weeks the mottled down of the Night Hawk chick has given place to mottled 

 feathers, in which the tints range from dark to light brown or buff. The wing-quills are 

 almost black with buff edges. The fifth quill or primary has a pure white transverse spot 

 near the point of emergence from the feather tube, the first trace of what becomes a con- 

 spicuous mark on the wings of an adult bird. The fledgling is more lively in the day- 

 time, runs about easily, will utter his pe-ur ! note, and can fly short distances. 



