BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 139 



flies off, but only to such a distance as it considers necessary, in order 

 to secure it from the farther intrusion of the disturber of its noon-day 

 slumbers. " Its flight is very low, light, swift, noiseless and protracted, 

 as the bird moves over the places which it inhabits, in pursuit of the 

 moths, beetles and other insects of which its food is composed. Dur- 

 ing the day, it sleeps on the ground, the lowest branches of small trees, 

 or the fallen trunks of trees, so abundantly dispersed through the 

 woods. In such situatians, you may approach within a few feet of it; 

 and, should you observe it whilst asleep, and not make any noi^e suf- 

 ficient to alarm it, will suffer you to pass quite near without taking 

 flight, as it seems to sleep with great soundness, especially about the 

 middle of the day. In rainy or very cloudy weather, it sleeps less, 

 and is more on the alert. Its eyes are then kept open for hours at a 

 time, and it flies off as soon as it discovers an enemy approaching, 

 which it can do, at such times, at a distance of twenty or thirty yards. 

 " It always appears with its body parallel to the direction of the branch 

 or trunk on which it sits, and, I believe, never alights across a branch 

 or fence rail. u No sooner has the sun disappeared beneath the hori 

 zon, than this bird bestirs itself, and sets out in pursuit of insects. It 

 passes low over the bushes, moves to the right or left, alights on the 

 ground to secure its prey, passes repeatedly in different directions over 

 the same field, skims along the skirts of the woods and settles occa- 

 sionally on the tops of the fence stakes or on the stumps of trees, 

 from whence it sallies, like a Flycatcher, after insects, and on seizing 

 them returns to the same spot. u When thus situated, it frequently 

 alights on the ground, to pick up a beetle ; it also balances itself in the 

 air, in front of the trunks of trees, or against the sides of banks, to 

 discover ants and other small insects that may be lurking there. It 

 is a remarkable fact that even the largest moths on which the Whip- 

 poor-will feeds, are always swallowed tail foremost, and when swal- 

 lowed, the wings and legs are found closely laid together, and as if 

 partially glued by the saliva or gastric juice of the bird. The act of 

 deglutition must be greatly aided by the long bristly feathers of the 

 upper mandible, as these no doubt force the wings of the insects close 

 together, before they enter the mouth." Audubon. In several of 

 these birds, which I have examined, were found only insects, chiefly 

 of a lepidopterous character; once I took from the stomach of a male 

 bird the remains of two or three common potato beetles. The Whip- 

 poor-will never builds a nest. In this section, it deposits its eggs about 

 the 20th of May, on the bare ground, or on dry leaves, and occasion- 

 ally, though rarely, it is said on logs, in the gloomy retreats of thickets 

 or woods. The eggs, never more than two in number, are white or 

 yellowish white, irregularly spotted or Llotched with brown, and blu- 

 ish-gray. They measure about 1.25 inches in length and .89 of an inch 



