WHIP- POOR- WILL. 



179 



four females. The former all corresponded in the markings 

 and tints of their plumage ; the latter also agreed in their 

 marks, differing slightly from the males, though evidently of 

 the same species. Two others were shot as they rose from 

 the nests, or rather from the eggs, which, in both cases, were 

 two in number, lying on the open ground. These also agreed 

 in the markings of their plumage with the four preceding, 

 and, on dissection, were found to be females. The eggs were 

 also secured. A whip-poor-will was shot in the evening, 

 while in the act of repeating his usual and well-known notes. 

 This bird was found to be a male, differing in many remark- 

 able particulars from all the former. Three others were shot 

 at different times during the day, in solitary and dark shaded 

 parts of the wood. Two of these were found to be females, 

 one of which had been sitting on two eggs. The two females 

 resembled each other almost exactly ; the male also corre- 

 sponded in its markings with the one first found, and all four 

 were evidently of one species. The eggs differed from the 

 former both in colour and markings. 



" The differences between these two birds were as follows : 

 — The sides of the mouth in both sexes of the whip-poor-will 

 were beset with ranges of long and very strong bristles, 

 extending more than half an inch beyond the point of the 

 bill ; both sexes of the night hawk were entirely destitute of 

 bristles. The bill of the whip-poor-will was also more than 

 twice the length of that of the night hawk. The long wing- 

 quills of both sexes of the night hawk were of a deep 

 brownish black, with a large spot of white nearly in their 

 middle, and, when shut, the tips of the wings extended a little 

 beyond the tail. The wing-quills of the whip-poor-will of both 

 sexes were beautifully spotted with light brown — had no spot 

 of white on them — and, when shut, the tips of the wings did 

 not reach to the tip of the tail by at least two inches. The tail 

 of the night hawk was handsomely forked, the exterior feathers 

 being the longest, shortening gradually to the middle ones ; 

 the tail of the whip-poor-will was rounded, the exterior feathers 

 being the shortest, lengthening gradually to the middle ones. 



