376 WHIP-POOR-WILL. 
the neck ; the bill is exceedingly small, scarcely one-eighth of an inch 
in length, and of a black color; the nostrils circular, and surrounded 
with a prominent rim; eye, large and full, of a deep bluish black; 
the legs are short, feathered a little below the knees, and, as well as 
the toes, of a purplish flesh color, seamed with white; the middle 
claw is pectinated on its inner edge, to serve as a comb to clear the 
bird of vermin; the whole lower parts of the body are marked with 
transverse lines of dusky and yellowish. The tail is somewhat short- 
er than the wings when shut, is handsomely forked, and consists of 
ten broad feathers; the mouth is extremely large, and of a reddish 
flesh color within; there are no bristles about the bill; the tongue is 
very small, and attached to the inner surface of the mouth. 
The female measures about nine inches in length, and twenty-two 
in breadth; differs in having no white band on the tail, but has the 
spot of white on the wing, wants the triangular spot of white on the 
throat, instead of which there is a dully-defined mark of a reddish 
cream color; the wings are nearly black, all the quills being slightly 
tipped with white; the tail is as in the male, and minutely tipped with 
white ; all the scapulars, and whole upper parts, are powdered with a 
much lighter gray. 
There is no description of the present species in Turton’s transla- 
tion of Linneus. The characters of the genus given in the same 
work are also in this case incorrect, viz. “mouth furnished with a se- 
ries of bristles ; tail not forked,’”—the Night Hawk having nothing 
of the former, and its tail being largely forked. 
WHIP-POOR-WILL.— CAPRIMULGUS VOCIFERUS. — Fie. 172, 
Mate; Fie. 173, Femare. 
Peale’s Museum, No. 7721, male ; 7722, female. 
CAPRIMULGUS VOCIFERUS.—Witson. 
Caprimulgus vociferus, Bonap. Synop. p. 61.— North. Zool. ii. p- 336. — Whip- 
* poor-will, Aud. Orn. Biog. i. p. 422, pl. 32. 
Turs is a singular and very celebrated species, universally noted 
over the greater part of the United States for the loud reiterations of 
his favorite call in spring; and yet personally he is but little known, 
most people being unable to distinguish this from the preceding spe- 
cies, when both are placed before them; and some insisting that they 
are the same. This being the case, it hecomes the duty of his histo- 
rian to give a full and faithful delineation of his character and pecu- 
liarity of manners, that his existence as a distinct and independent 
species may no Jonger be doubted, nor his story mingled confusedly 
with that of another. I trust that those best acquainted with him 
will bear witness to the fidelity of the portrait. 
On or about the 25t> of April, if the season be not uncommonly 
