chuck-will's-widow. 465 



vibrations of its wings, appearing as it were to swim in the air 

 in widening circles, shooting baclcwards and forwards through 

 the ambient space at great elevations, and yet scarcely moving 

 its wings. Now and then it is heard to utter, in a hurried 

 manner, a sound like tsip tstp tsip tsee tsee. It is never seen to 

 alight but in hollow trees or chimneys, and appears always 

 most gay and active in wet and gloomy weather. 



Near the Atlantic border this species is found north to 50°, but 

 in the West it ranges still farther northward. 



CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW. 



Antrostomus carolinensis. 



Char. Gape extremely wide, the rictal bristles with lateral filaments. 

 General color reddish brown mottled with black, white, and tawny ; throat 

 with collar of pale tawny, terminal third of outer tail-feathers white or 

 buffy; under parts tawny white. Length 11 to 12 inches. 



JVest. In open woods or dense thicket. No attempt is made at build- 

 ing a receptacle for the eggs, which are laid on the bare ground or upon 

 fallen leaves. 



Eggs. 2 ; white or huffish, marked with brown and lavender ; 1.40 

 X 1. 00. 



The Carolina Goatsucker is seldom seen to the north of 

 Virginia, though in the interior its migrations extend up the 

 shores of the Mississippi to the 38th degree. After wintering 

 in some part of the tropical continent of America, it arrives in 

 Georgia and Louisiana about the middle of March, and in Vir- 

 ginia early in April. Like the following species, it commences 

 its singular serenade of ^ chuck-' wiir s-widow in the evening 

 soon after sunset, and continues it with short interruptions for 

 several hours. Towards morning the note is also renewed 

 until the opening dawn. In the day, like some wandering 

 spirit, it retires to secrecy and silence, as if the whole had only 

 been a disturbed dream. In a still evening this singular call 

 may be heard for half a mile, its tones being slower, louder, 

 and more full than those of the Whip-poor-will. The species 

 is particularly numerous in the vast forests of the Mississippi, 



VOL. I. — 30 



