384 BIRDS — CAPEIMULGID^. 



male with a large white, in the female tawny, cross-bar ; tail t^laokjBh, with distant 

 pale marhled cross-bars and a large white spot (wanting in the female) on one or both 

 webs of all the feathers toward the end ; qnills dusky, unmarked exoept by one large 

 white spot on five outer primaries about midway between their base and tip ; in the fe- 

 male this area is restricted or not pure white. Length, about 9 ; wing, 8 ; tail, 5. 



Habitat, entire temperate North and Middle America. North to Hudson's Bay. Cuba, 

 Jamaica and the Bahamas. South to Brazil. 



Common summer resident, from May to September. The Nighthawk 

 is a much better known bird throughout the State than the Whippoor- 

 will. It arrives in this vicinity early in May, when it may be seen 

 perched upon the limb of a tree, motionless and apparently asleep. In a 

 few days pairing is effected, and one or both birds may be seen flying high 

 over a locality which they have chosen for nesting, even in the brightest 

 noonday sun. At such times attention is called to the bird by its load 

 and singular note, which is heard while it is at a great height. 



Some writers have asserted £hat the birds of this family are unable by 

 reason of the smallness of their feet to sit upon a limb in the ordinary 

 fashion of birds, but must place the long axis of the body parallel with 

 the limb. Eeasonable as this may appear, some birds in this neighbor- 

 hood contemptuously disregard the teachings of wise men, and perch 

 crossways upon limbs without apparent inconvenience. I have shot 

 several for so doing, as has also my friend. Dr. 0. Frankenberg, and we 

 hope to put an end to this provokingly unscientific habit. 



The Nighthawk and Whippoorwill are frequently confounded, or con- 

 sidered as birds of the same species. A careful comparison with each 

 other or with the descriptions will at once show a very decided difference. 

 The Nighthawk is also known as the Goatsucker, a name given to its 

 European relative, from the belief that it did as the name implied. 

 Doubtless its habit of frequenting pastures and fields where cattle 

 feed, in search of insects which abound in such places, led to this super- 

 stition. I have elsewhere noted (Birds N. W., 1. c.) that in skinning, 

 these birds exhale a strong goatlike odor, which may have added a fan- 

 ciful reason for this long exploded idea. 



In the latter part of summer the Nighthawks collect in large companies 

 towards night and frequent fields in search of food. Their southern mi- 

 gration is performed in the latter part of August and September. During 

 this period they may be seen in very loose flocks, toward evening, making 

 their way southward, and feeding as they fly. At such times they fly 

 over, rather than around obstacles, and do not turn aside for cities. Their 

 flight is high or low, according to the dryness or dampness of the atmos- 

 phere, which governs the flight of the insects on which they feed. Flocks 

 of thousands are sometimes seen. 



