156 



THE OOLOGIST. 



have enjoj'ed many an evening stroll, 

 out listening to his revelry. 



The Cliuek-Wills-Wiclow: This is 

 not so well known as tlie former spec- 

 ies, and is counted as rare .everywhere, 

 tliough I must say it is quite common 

 in this locality. It is also named from 

 the fanciful construction of its notes, 

 and during tlie early evening keeps up 

 an ince.ssant flow of turbulent noise, 

 which lacks tlie attractiveness found in 

 the Whip-poor-will's song. It is some- 

 times called Clivp-buttee-Vjhite-oak. The 

 last syllable is emphasized, the first 

 being more faint, and, at a distance, is 

 sometimes not heard. Like the Whip- 

 poor-will, it often gets in a hurry and 

 repeats tlie Avords so fast as to make 

 tliem indistinguishable. 



I beg leave to differ with the notes 

 given in Davie's description of this 

 species, which read as follows, "deep 

 ravines, shady swamps and extensive 

 pine forests are the retreats during the 

 day, when the birds roost in hollow 

 trees." Their favorite retreat, here, is 

 open, sterile rocky ground Ijordering 

 the hillsides, where there are no hollow 

 trees to roost in. He further says, 

 "when in search of food, the same places 

 • are resorted to at night, and their 

 singular notes are only uttered for a 

 brief period in early evening, when on 

 the wing." My experience is quite 

 different. They resort to the same 

 places at uight, but in the mating 

 season, they may be heard from dusk 

 till bedtime, and I have yet to lind the 

 first one that performed such a part 

 Avhile on the wing. Of a hundred or 

 more which I have traced up in the 

 moonlight, every one was perched on 

 the ground, a rock or log, or occasion- 

 ally on a low limb or snag, while sing- 

 ing. They change their position fre- 

 (^uently, however, while catching 

 insects, and perhaps this gives j-ise to 

 the idea that they are flying about. 

 Yet, if disturbed, they do make a pecul- 

 iar guttural sound like that of a bull- 

 frog, or a rattling ba-a-a-a, when on 



the wing. The female is generally 

 along and utters the same noise but not 

 nearly so course. 



They are very hard to approach, 

 OAving to the fact that the female is 

 close at hand, keeping guard Avhile he 

 sings, and at the least rustle in the 

 leaA'es or brush, she takes flight, fol- 

 lowed by her companion flapping his 

 Avings together occasionally, but irreg- 

 ularly antl not tAvice together. Their 

 flight is short; even if shot at they Avill 

 only fly flfty yards or so and resume 

 theirliiusic, if such it can be called, but 

 I dare say that if a stranger should pass 

 through these parts at night, and a 

 bird would suddenly begin singing 

 Avithin a fcAV rods of him, he Avould 

 think of anything before "sAveet 

 music." it is absolutely the most lone- 

 ly and bcAvilderiug sound I ever heard, 

 and I shall not soon forget my first ex- 

 perience Avith them. It was in the 

 spring of '88 that I had my first exper- 

 ience in a ncAV unopened country, rav- 

 aged by forest fires and as I emagiued, 

 from numerous letters received, a- 

 bounded in bears, panthers, Avolves, 

 wildcats, deer and other Avild animals, 

 liable to meet one in the road at all 

 hours of the day. Guess at my feelings, 

 as I started out alone and on foot, at 

 nightfall, to travel three miles and a 

 half over one of the roughest and Avild- 

 est mountain trails in Arkansas for the 

 first time. I Avas not much of a coAvard, 

 and Avas determined to "surprise" the 

 folks tiiat night, if I didn't get lost, but 

 I must say I quailed when one of these 

 birds struck up a lively tune almost in 

 front of me. I made the trip safely,, 

 though I carried my gun at full coc-k 

 the rest of the way, and Avas ready to 

 shoot every black stump or other un- 

 sightly object that came to a-Icav. 



Twenty-fiA'e of these birds may be 

 heard at one time, and a specimen shot 

 measui-es fourteen inches, and tAvice as 

 large in bulk as the Whip-poor-Avill. 



They first arrived on April 29th. 

 "Akkansaav Hoosiek," 



Clinton, Ark. 



