WHIP-POOR-WILL. 247 



marbled with dark oliye. The precise period of incubation I am unable 

 to say. 



In traversing the woods one day, in the early part of June, along the 

 brow of a rocky declivity, a Whip-poor-will rose from my feet and flut- 

 tered along, sometimes prostrating herself and beating the ground with 

 her wings, as if just expiring. Aware of her purpose, I stood still and 

 began to examine the space immediately around me for the eggs or 

 young, one or the other of which I was certain must be near. After a 

 long search, to my mortification, I could find neither ; and was just 

 going to abandon the spot, when I perceived somewhat like a slight 

 mouldiness among the withered leaves, and on stooping down discovered 

 it to be a young Whip-poor-will, seemingly asleep, as its eye-lids were 

 nearly closed ; or perhaps this might only be to protect its tender eyes 

 from the glare of day. I sat down by it on the leaves, and drew it 

 as it then appeared (see fig. 3). It was probably not a week old. All 

 the while I was thus engaged it neither moved its body, nor opened its 

 eyes more than half; and I left it as I found it. After I had walked 

 about a quarter of a mile from the spot, recollecting that I had left a 

 pencil behind, I returned and found my pencil, but the young bird was 

 gone. 



Early in June, as soon as the young appear, the notes of the male 

 usually cease, or are heard but rarely. Towards the latter part of sum- 

 mer, a short time before these birds leave us, they are again occasionally 

 heard ; but their call is then not so loud — much less emphatical, and 

 more interrupted than in spring. Early in September they move off 

 towards the south. 



The favorite places of resort for these birds are on high dry situa- 

 tions ; in low marshy tracts of country they are seldom heard. It is 

 probably on this account that they are scarce on the seacoast and its 

 immediate neighborhood ; while towards the mountains they are very 

 numerous. The Night-hawks, on the contrary, delight in these exten- 

 sive sea marshes ; and are much more numerous there than in the inte- 

 rior and higher parts of the country. But nowhere in the United States 

 have I found the Whip-poor-will in such numbers as in that tract of 

 country in the stat6 of Kentucky called the Barrens. This appears to 

 be their most congenial climate and place of residence. There, from 

 the middle of April to the first of June, as soon as the evening twilight 

 draws on, the shrill and confused clamors of these birds are incessant, 

 and very surprising to a stranger. They soon, however, become ex- 

 tremely agreeable, the inhabitants lie down at night lulled by their 

 whistlings ; and the first approach of dawn is announced by a general 

 and lively chorus of the same music ; while the full- toned tooting, as it 

 is called, of the Pinnated Grouse, forms a very pleasing bass to the 

 whole. 



