The Rearing of the Night Hawk. 



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Fig. 70. Night Hawif tliree days old. Nearly life size. 



When the young Night Hawk is exposed to a hot sun, its lower jaw also begins to vibrate 

 but at a much higher rate of speed, when it will toddle off and crouch in the shade of 

 a leaf. It begins to walk when three or four days old, but rarely emits a sound, e.vcept 

 under circumstances which will be presently described. Fearing lest the old bird should 

 entice it away, I coralled it in a small enclosure of wattled twigs on July 3d. In this 

 pen it remained a week longer or 

 until able to fly at the age of about 

 eighteen days. 



Wishing to witness the feeding 

 habits of these birds, which I believe 

 liave never been described, I spent 

 parts of three days and nights camped 

 beside the enclosure and was the wit- 

 ness of some interesting and curious 

 sights. On the first day I set up the 

 tent at three o'clock in the afternoon, 

 but heard no sound for an hour, when 

 the young began to pc-np! At five 

 o'clock \\\fi pisk ! of the male sound- 

 ed for the first time. During the 

 interval a single incident occurred to 

 vary the monotony. A green snake 

 in the course of his rambles had dis- 

 covered the young Night Hawk, and 

 when first seen was watching the bird 

 intently from a stump close to the 

 tent. The snake after ix'inaining with 

 elevated head keenly eying the bird 

 for a long time, slowly advanced, put- 

 ting out his tongue, but wdien a few 

 inches away hesitated again, and as if 

 deciding not to experiment further, 

 turned to one side and disappeared. 

 The bird paid no attention whatever 

 to the advances of the snake. At this 

 juncture I left the tent for an hour, 

 returning as the sun was setting at 

 half-past seven o'clock. 



At dark a change begins to come 

 over the Night Hawk family. The 

 young bird shows signs of life, moves 

 about calling for food, and grows 

 livelier as the darkness increases, 



making a sound \'\V<t pc-ur ! pc-up ! Both old birds are now alert and g\'rating overhead. 

 You hear \.\\ii\K pisk ! pisk ! and the startling sound caused by the vibration of the wings 



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Fig, 71. Night Hawk nine days old, July 3d. Length in sit- 

 ting posture, 3j inches. 



