The Whip-poor-will 



55 



Nothing more was done or was the nest visited by me again until 

 July 4. The exact location of the nest being known, I had hoped to be 

 able to make an exposure of the old bird upon the nest. Owing to the 

 darkness of the woods and the wildness of the old bird, I was not successful 

 in doing this when I first approached and found the old bird upon the nest. 

 She flew at once, and I beheld two little bunches of sulphur-yellow cuddled 

 in the spot from which she had flown. Some exposures were made of the 

 young, as shown in the cuts. Two half egg-shells were still in the nest. 



Determined, if possible, to get a picture of the old bird, I set the camera 

 ten feet away, focused it upon the young and went away for our noon 



WHIP- I'OOR -WILL ON NEST 



lunch, being gone about an hour. Returning, I walked on as though 

 going by the nest but close enough to the camera so as to press the bulb. 

 The old bird was upon the nest, and in this way I obtained the picture as 

 shown in the cut. The old Whip-poor-will was looking directly at the 

 camera, and, as a result, is not easi!y seen in the picture. Never did we see 

 but the one Whip-poor-will about the nest. From the appearance of the 

 young, they could not have been more than a few days old. It was with difl^- 

 culty that they were seen among the leaves when one was within even three 

 feet. And the old bird upon the nest could hardly be seen unless one knew 

 the exact spot where she sat. It was with great regret that I could not re- 

 main and study this household on up to maturity. The Whip-poor-wills 

 are plentiful in this section, but this is my hrst nest of this good bird. 



