152 CHUCK- WILL'S-WIDOW. 



making their escape. On giving them liberty to fly, I have found them able 

 to proceed until out of my sight. They passed between the trees with appa- 

 rently as much ease and dexterity as if it had been twilight. I once cut two 

 of the quill-feathers of a wing of one of these birds, and allowed it to escape. 

 A few days afterwards I found it in the same log, which induces me to 

 believe that they, like many other birds, resort to the same spot, to roost or 

 spend the day. 



The flight of the Chuck-wilPs-widow is as light as that of its relative, the 

 well-known PVhip-poor-ivill, if not more so, and is more graceful as well as 

 more elevated. It somewhat resembles the flight of the Hen-harrier, being 

 performed by easy flappings of the wings, interspersed with sailings and 

 curving sweeps, extremely pleasing to the bystander. At the approach of 

 night, this bird begins to sing clearly and loudly, and continues its notes for 

 about a quarter of an hour. At this time it is perched on a fence-stake, or 

 on the decayed branch of a tree in the interior of the woods, seldom on the 

 ground. The sounds or notes which it emits seem to cause it some trouble, 

 as it raises and lowers its head in quick succession at each of them. This 

 over, the bird launches into the air, and is seen sweeping over the cotton 

 fields or the sugar plantations, cutting all sorts of figures, mounting, descend- 

 ing, or sailing, with so much ease and grace, that one might be induced to 

 call it the Fairy of the night. If it passes close to one, a murmuring noise 

 is heard, at times resembling that spoken of when the bird is caught by day. 

 It suddenly checks its course, inclines to the right or left, secures a beetle or 

 a moth, continues its flight over the field, passes and repasses hundreds of 

 times over the same ground, and now and then alights on a fence-stake, or 

 the tallest plant in the place, from which it emits its notes for a few moments 

 with increased vivacity. Now, it is seen following a road or a path on the 

 wing, and alighting here and there to pick up the beetle emerging from its 

 retreat in the ground; again, it rises high in air, and gives chase to the insects 

 that are flying there, perhaps on their passage from one wood to another. 

 At other times, I have seen it poise itself on its wings opposite the trunk of 

 a tree, and seize with its bill the insects crawling on the bark, in this manner 

 inspecting the whole tr.ee, with motions as light as those by which the 

 Humming-Bird flutters from one flower to another. In this manner the 

 Chuck-will's-widow spends the greater part of the night. 



The greatest harmony appears to subsist between the birds of this species, 

 for dozens may be observed flying together over a field, and chasing insects 

 in all directions, without manifesting any enmity or envy. A few days 

 after the arrival of the male birds, the females make their appearance, and 

 the love season at once commences. The male pays his addresses to the 

 female with a degree of pomposity only equalled by the Tame Pigeon. The 



