CHORDEDILES POPETUE : NIGHT-HAWK OR BULL-BAT. 53 



female. Tail blackish, marbled with several pale cross-bars, and 

 in the male with large white spaces near the ends of the feathers. 

 Long quills of the wing blackish, with a great white spot on five 

 outer primaries midway between their bases and tips ; in the 

 female this mark smaller or not pure white. Length about 9.00 ; 

 extent, 22.00 ; wing, 8.00 ; tail, 5.00 ; bill about 0.25 in its hard 

 part, but with immense gape reaching below the eyes. 



This remarkable bird is a common summer resident 

 in New England, arriving early in May, and departing 

 in September. It is confined to 

 no section, but may be observed 

 anywhere in the twilight and 

 also at any time during the day, 

 especially in cloudy weather, 

 coursing with splendid powers 

 of flight overhead like a winged 

 greyhound in endless evolu- 

 tions. Sometimes it soars till 

 it becomes but a speck to the 

 view, and again skims swiftly 

 low over the ground — now 

 dashing impetuously forward, 

 now sailing with easy bold 

 sweeps of the pointed pinions, fig. j.-night-hawk. 

 arresting its course for a moment and then twist- 

 ing and glancing with almost inconceivable velocity in 

 its seemingly random race. But all this while the v/ay- 

 ward bird is providently gleaning its food from the air ; 

 these forays are made with an eye strictly to business, 

 for the purpose of capturing the tiny gauzy creatures 

 which swim in the rays of the departing sun ; and in 

 contemplating such adaptation of perfect grace to utili- 

 tarian purposes, we are taught the lesson that nature 



