THE WHIP-POOR-WILL. 141) 



althougli I made some noise trying to fight off a swarm of musquitocs wliicli 

 assailed me from all sides. Its head appeared to be all mouth, and its notes 

 were uttered so rapidlv that, close as I was to the bird, they sounded like one 

 long, continuous roll. A few seconds after his first effort (it \\as the male) he 

 was joined by his mate, and she at once commenced to respond with a peculiar, 

 low, buzzing or grunting note, like " gaw-gaw-gaw," undoubtedh' a note of 

 approval or endearment. This evidently cost her considerable effort; her head 

 almost touched the ground while uttering it, her plumage Avas relaxed, and 

 her whole body seemed to be in a violent tremble. The male in the meantime 

 had sidled up to her and touched her bill with his, which made her mo\'e 

 slightlv to one side, but so slowly that he easily kept close alongside of her. 

 These sidling movements were kept up for a minute or more each time; first 

 one would move away, followed Its' the other, and then it was reversed; both 

 were about equally bold and coy at the same time. Their entire love making 

 looked exceedingly human, and the female acted as timid and bashful as many 

 young maidens would when receiving the first declarations of their would-be 

 lovers, while the lowering of her head might easil}^ be interpreted as being 

 done to hide her blushes. Just about the time I thought this courtship would 

 reach its climax, a dog ran out of the house and caused both to take flight. 

 He always showed an unaccountable antipathy for these birds, and iuAariabh' 

 chased them as soon as one would alight near by. I \\atched for them on 

 several subsequent evenings, in the same place, but the}' never returned there 

 so early, but their fresh tracks on the sand showed that the place had been 

 ^•isited later in the night. 



In the more southern portions of its range the Whij)-poor-will nests usuallv 

 about the first Aveek in May, occasionally only during the last two weeks in 

 April, and in the more northern parts usually not before June 



]\Ir. H. W. Flint, of New Haven, Connecticut, has kindlv furnished me with 

 the following iiotes on this species: "This beautiful bird is a great favorite of 

 mine, and I have devoted considerable time to studying its habits. It sho^^■s a 

 strong attachment for certain localities to the neglect of others apparently 

 equallv suited to its tastes, and I ha^-e taken five sets of its eggs within 100 feet 

 of a given point, and even when the first set was taken the female Avill often lav 

 again within a rod or tAvo of the original site. It nests rather earh', jMaA' 20 

 to 25 being the aA^erage date of my finds. I knoAA" of no more ludicrous sight 

 in bird life than that offered by the female Avhen suddenly surprised with 

 young. She flies or rather flops about the intruder in a circle, often alight- 

 ing to tumble about upon the ground among the leaves, spreading the tail and 

 opening the mouth, at the same time emitting a sound something like the crA' or 

 whine of a very young puppy, and also other guttural, uncouth sounds, Avholh' 

 indescribable, the young themselves, in their scanty dress of dark velloAV fuzz, 

 apparently all mc)uth, adding to the general effect. I once, and once onh-, saAv 

 a female (the male is neAer present at the nest) carry a A^oung bird about a rod, 

 but c;ui not saA' she used her bill, and don't think she did, but I am almost 



