342 



THE NIGHTHAWK. 



passed up surmises to their motley compauions. They all agreed it was a 

 What-is-itf and I did too; for the bird was so brown, or tawny, and showed 

 so little of the distinctive white spot on the wings, that it took all the morn- 

 ing to determine that it was really a young Nighthawk and not a Whip- 

 poorwill. 



Both of these birds suffer somewhat from an unreasoning prejudice on 

 the part of both birds and men, occasioned perhaps by their long wings. I 

 have seen Robins pounce upon an unoffending Whippoorwill, and drive the 

 poor bird nearly distracted ; while everybody knows that the very name 



Taken near Dclanarc. 



NIGHTHAWK'S EGGS, IN SITU. 



"hawk," however unreasonably applied, is enough to explode the cap on any 

 self-sufficient old musket. 



These Nighthawks are perfectly harmless except to moths, midges and 

 their ilk; and their uplifted wings half careened by the evening breeze, furnish 

 one of the most pleasing adornments of meadow and pasture. The birds 

 "quarter the air" in a bat-like flight of irregular zigzags, often pouting as 

 they go, Mbard — mhard. They are not so strictly nocturnal as the Whip- 

 poorwills, but put a liberal construction on "twilight," being careful to avail 

 themselves of all dark days, and, in fact, moving about at will whenever the 

 sun slants fairly. ]:)uring the mating season the males take great parabolic 



