THE OOLOGIST. 



65 



The Chuck-will's-widow. 



fyiHE name of this species is ttiken from 

 it.< cry, whicli it utters ^Yith great elear- 

 uess, repeating the note chuck-will's-widow 

 loudly and distinctly six or seven times in 

 succession, then stopping and repeating it 

 again. It is to the southern parts of the 

 United States of America that this bird pays 

 its annual visit, coming from Mexico, and 

 perhaps still warmer ch'mates, where it so- 

 journs during the winter. Luisiana, Flor- 

 ida, and the lower portions of Alabama and 

 Georgia, are the distri(''ts in which it chief- 

 ly abounds. Ravines, swamps, and exten- 

 sive pine-ridges are alike resorted to by the 

 Chuck-will's-widow, its food abounding e- 

 qually in all those places, which also tilfbrd 

 it ample means of safety dui-iiig the day. 

 It principally roosts in the hollow of decay- 

 ed trees or prostrate logs, and often in com- 

 pany with bats, which cling to the sides of 

 the cavities. '■'■ When surprised in such 

 situations," says Audubon, "instead of try- 

 ing to effect their escape by flying out, they 

 retire backwards to the farthest corners, 

 ruffle all the feathei'S of the body, open the 

 mouth to its full extent, and utter a hissing 

 kind of murmur ; when seized and brought 

 to the light of day, they open and close their 

 eyes in rapid succession, as if it wei'e pain- 

 ful for them to encounter so bright a light ; 

 they snap their little bills in the manner of 

 Flyca tethers, and slmftle along as if extreme- 

 ly desirous of making their escape." Dur- 

 ing the hours of dusk they are all anima- 

 tion, and display the most rapid and varied 

 evolutions in the air, wliceling, sweeping 

 along, mounting and descending with ad- 

 mirable ease and grace. The mode of in- 

 cubation resembles that described of the 

 other species, and the manner of perching 

 is the same. The young, and also the eggs, 

 if meddled with, are moved to another spot. 

 "Wheii the Chuck-will's-widow," says Au- 

 dubon, "either male or female, for each sits 

 alternately, has discovered that its eggs 

 have been touched, it ruffles its feathers, 

 and appears extremely dejected for a min- 



} ute or two, after which it emits a low mur- 

 muring ci'y, scarcely audible to me as I have 

 ; lain concealed at adistauce of 18or 20yards. 

 ; At this time I liave seen the other parent 

 reach the spot, flying so low over the ground 

 ' that I thou^fht its little feet must have touch- 

 ; ed it as it skimmed along. After a few low 

 \ notes and some gesticulations, I have wit- 

 I nessed each take an egg in its large moutli, 

 j and both fly ofl' together, skimming closely 

 I over the ground, until they disappeared a- 

 j mong the branches and trees. But to what 

 [ distance they remove their eggs I have nev- 

 er been able to ascertain, nor have I ever 

 i had an opportunity of witnessing the i-emov- 

 i al of the young. JShould a person coming 

 \ iipon the nest when the bird is sitting, re- 

 frain from touciiing the eggs, the bird re- 

 turns to them and sits as before : this fact 

 I have also ascertained by observation." 

 ; The Chuck-will's-widow arrives in Georgia 

 about the middle of March, and in Virgin- 

 , ia eai'ly in april, and immediately gives no- 

 j tice of its ari'ival by its evening call, num- 

 ': bers keeping up the chorus during the hours 

 : of twilight, and through the night, if it be 

 clear. They leave the United States to- 

 ' wards the latter end of August. The col- 

 ours of the plumage of thi» elegant bird con- 

 : sist of yellow, ferruginious, and blackish 

 brown, blended and luingled togeliier ; the 

 head and back are dark brown, minutely 

 mottled with yellowish red, and longitud- 

 inally streaked with black : the wings jire 

 l)arre(l with yellowish red and brownish 

 black, and minutely sprinkled with the lat- 

 ter colour. Tail similarly barred an<l sprink- 

 led : the inner webs of the three outer feath- 

 ei's white. Under parts blackish, sprinkled 

 with yellowish red : a slight baixl of whit- 

 ish across the fore part of the neck. — jWus- 

 j eum of Animated Nature : Knujlit^ 1843. 



Several intei-esting letters are published 

 in the Forest and Stream on the flnding of 

 a supposed new species of Quail in Marj'- 

 land. They may be, as the editor of the 

 above paper suggests, some of the European 

 Quail recently imported. 



