NIGHT HA WK. 



167 



When the weather happens to be wet and gloomy, the 

 night hawks are seen abroad at all times of the day, generally 

 at a considerable height ; their favourite time, however, is 

 from two hours before sunset until dusk. At such times they 

 seem all vivacity, darting about in the air in every direction, 

 making frequent short sudden turnings, as if busily engaged 

 in catching insects. Even in the hottest, clearest weather, 

 they are occasionally seen abroad, squeaking at short intervals. 

 They are also often found sitting along the fences, basking 

 themselves in the sun. Near the seashore, in the vicinity 

 of extensive salt marshes, they are likewise very numerous, 

 skimming over the meadows, in the manner of swallows, 

 until it is so dark that the eye can no longer follow them. 



When wounded and taken, they attempt to intimidate you 

 by opening their mouth to its utmost stretch, throwing the 

 head forward, and uttering a kind of guttural whizzing sound, 

 striking also violently with their wings, which seem to be 

 their only offensive weapons, for they never attempt to strike 

 with the bill or claws. 



About the middle of August they begin to move off 

 towards the south, at which season they may be seen almost 

 every evening, from five o'clock until after sunset, passing 

 along the Schuylkill and the adjacent shores, in widely 

 scattered multitudes, all steering towards the south. I have 

 counted several hundreds within sight at the same time, dis- 

 persed through the air, and darting after insects as they ad- 

 vanced. These occasional processions continue for two or 

 three weeks ; none are seen travelling in the opposite direc- 

 tion. Sometimes they are accompanied by at least twice as 

 many barn swallows, some chimney swallows and purple 

 martins. They are also most numerous immediately pre- 

 ceding a north-east storm. At this time also they abound in 

 the extensive meadows on the Schuylkill and Delaware, where 

 I have counted fifteen skimming over a single field in an 

 evening. On shooting some of these, on the 14th of August, 

 their stomachs were almost exclusively filled with crickets. 



