170 KEY AND DESCRIPTION 



feathers instead of white. The rictal bristles are long, but 

 not branching. This bird flies and makes its whip-poor-will 

 notes after sunset and before sunrise. It is a common, low- 

 flying bird, much more frequently heard than seen. 



Length, 9^; wing, 6 (5J-6|) ; tail, 4| ; culmen, |. North America 

 from the Plains eastward ; breeding from Virginia, north to New Bruns- 

 wick and Manitoba, and wintering from Florida to Central America. 



3. Poor-will (418 Phalcendptilus nuttdllii'). — A western whip- 

 poor-will, beautifully mottled with bronze-gray and silver- 

 gray markings ; both sexes have the white patch across the 

 throat, and nearly white tips to the under tail feathers. In 

 singing its notes the first syllable is dropped, and so this bird 

 is called a poor-will. 



Length, 8 ; wing, 5^ (5|-5|) ; tail, 3| ; tarsus, | ; culmen, |. Western 

 United States from Kansas and Montana, and southward and westward 

 to Mexico. Merrill's Parauque (419. Nyctidromus alhic6lUs merrilli). — 

 A Texas species of very large size, long, rounded tail, and with a great 

 white patch on the wings. The male has a broad white collar ; l\ie female 

 a less distinct buff one. The under tail feathers are more or less white at 

 tip. Length, 10|-13J ; wing, 7 (6-7i) ; tail, 6| ; tarsus, 1 ; culmen, f. 

 Southern Texas to northeastern Mexico. 



4. Nighthawk (420. Chordeiles {di-les) virginihnus). — A bat- 

 like, night and evening flying, dark-colored, finely mottled 



bird, with conspicu- 

 ous white patches at 

 about the middle of 

 the wings, looking 

 like holes when the 

 bird is flying. It dif- 

 Nighthawk fers from the forego- 



ing species in flying 

 high in the air, and in having almost no rictal bristles. It 

 varies its flight with occasional dives toward the ground v^^ith 

 wings nearly closed ; before reaching the earth there is a sud- 

 den check in the speed, and a slow upward movement again 

 to the former elevation. (Bull-bat.) 



Length, 9J- ; wing, 7| (7|-8J) ; tail, 4| ; culmen, \. North America 



