238 BIRDS 



identify the author, whose name is taken from its notes. 

 Much is said of the whip-poor-will's song, both in prose and 

 poetry. The vocal notes are several shrill whistles repeated 

 rapidly, and a better interpretation may be had by repeat- 

 ing the syllables " Pip-er-rip " rapidly in succession several 

 times, not a mournful or melancholy sound, as one might 

 infer from the name. This whistle is uttered by the bird 

 while perched on a log or horizontally on a limb. The head 

 is moved from side to side, causing the sound to vibrate 

 from the woodland in waves. 



These birds do not perch crosswise of a limb, but their 

 bodies are parallel with the object on which they rest, head 

 outward, to resemble a knot on the branch. Their feet are 

 extremely weak, and the toes are not strong enough to allow 

 the bird to grasp and fasten the claws to any perch. 



In migration the birds travel in small flocks, and I have 

 frequently flushed a dozen whip-poor-wills from the under- 

 brush in April while looking for woodcocks. They do not 

 fly until one is almost upon them, when they rise and move 

 noiselessly through the air, soon alighting on a fallen branch. 



The two eggs are laid on a bare leaf in wet places where 

 the earth is partially shaded, thus producing a mottled effect 

 which blends effectively with the birds' plumage. 



The young of the whip-poor-will are covered with fine 

 down of chestnut-brown. The spacious mouth of the parent 

 enables her to remove her eggs to another spot if disturbed. 

 Like most other birds which hunt by night, the eyes are 

 exceedingly large for the size of the bird. The wings are 

 long and narrow, and when flat at the sides of the bird 

 touch the ground or the object on which the bird is perching. 



