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WHIP-POOR-WILL. 



Cjprimulgus vociferus, Wils. 



PLATE LXXXII. Male and Female. 



This bird makes its appearance in most parts of our Western and 

 Southern Districts, at the approach of spring, but is never heard, and in- 

 deed scarcely ever seen, in the State of Louisiana. The more barren 

 and mountainous parts of the Union seem to suit it best. Accordingly, 

 the open Barrens of Kentucky, and the country through which the Alle- 

 ghany ridges pass, are more abundantly supplied with it than any other 

 regions. Yet, wherever a small tract of country, thinly covered with 

 timber, occurs in the Middle Districts, there the Whip-poor-will is heard 

 during the spring and early autumn. 



This species of Night-jar, like its relative the Chuck-willVwidow, is 

 seldom seen during the day, unless when accidentally discovered in a state 

 of repose, when, if startled, it rises and flies off, but only to such a dis- 

 tance as it considers necessary, in order to secure it from the farther in- 

 trusion of the disturber of its noon-day slumbers. Its flight is very low, 

 light, swift, noiseless, and protracted, as the bird moves over the places 

 which it inhabits, in pursuit of the moths, beetles and other insects, of 

 which its food is composed. During the day, it sleeps on the ground, 

 the lowest branches of small trees and bushes, or the fallen trunks of 

 trees so abundantly dispersed through the woods. In such situations, you 

 may approach within a few feet of it ; and, shoidd you observe it whilst 

 asleep, and not make any noise sufficient to alarm it, it will suffer you to 

 pass quite near it, without taking flight, as it seems to sleep with great 

 soundness, especially about the middle of the day. In rainy or very 

 cloudy weather, it sleeps less, and is more on the alert. Its eyes are 

 then kept open for hours at a time, and it flies off" as soon as it discovers 

 an enemy approaching, which it can do, at such times, at a distance of 

 twenty or thirty yards. It always appears with its body parallel to the 

 direction of the branch or trunk on which it sits, and, I beUeve, never 

 alights across a branch or a fence-rail. 



No sooner has the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, than this bird 

 bestirs itself, and sets out in pursuit of insects. It passes low over the 



