WHIP-POOR-WILL. 
247 
marbled with dark olive. The precise period of incubation I arn unable 
to say. 
In traversing the woods one day, in the early part of June, along the 
brow of a rocky declivity, a Whip-poor-will rose from my feet and flut- 
tered along, sometimes prostrating herself and beating the ground with 
her wings, as if just expiring. Aware of her purpose, I stood still and 
began to examine the space immediately around me for the eggs or 
young, one or the other of which I was certain must be near. After a 
long search, to my mortification, I could find neither ; and was just 
going to abandon the spot, when I perceived somewhat like a slight 
mouldiness among the withered leaves, and on stooping down discovered 
it to be a young Whip-poor-will, seemingly asleep, as its eye-lids were 
nearly closed; or perhaps this might only be to protect its tender eyes 
from the glare of day. I sat down by it on the leaves, and drew it 
as it then appeared (sec fig. 3). It was probably not a week old. All 
the while I was thus engaged it neither moved its body, nor opened its 
eyes more than half ; and I left it as I found it. After I had walked 
about a quarter' of a mile from the spot, recollecting that I had left a 
pencil behind, I returned and found my pencil, but the young bird was 
gone. 
Early in June, as soon as the young appear, the notes of the male 
usually cease, or are heard but rarely. Towards the latter part of sum- 
mer, a short time before these birds leave us, they are again occasionally 
heard ; but their call is then not so loud — much less emphatical, and 
more interrupted than in spring. Early in September they move off 
towards the south. 
The favorite places of resort for these birds are on high dry situa- 
tions ; in low marshy tracts of country they are seldom heard. It is 
probably on this account that they are scarce on the seacoast and its 
immediate neighborhood ; while towards the mountains they are very 
numerous. The Night-hawks, on the contrary, delight in these exten- 
sive sea marshes ; and are much more numerous there than in the inte- 
rior and higher parts of the country. But nowhere in the United States 
have I found the Whip-poor-will in such numbers as in that tract of 
country in the state of Kentucky called the Barrens. This appears to 
be their most congenial climate and place of residence. There, from 
the middle of April to the first of June, as soon as the evening twilight 
draws on, the shrill and confused clamors of these birds are incessant, 
and very surprising to a stranger. They soon, however, become ex- 
tremely agreeable, the inhabitants lie down at night lulled by their 
whistlings ; and the first approach of dawn is announced by a general 
and lively chorus of the same music ; while the full-toned tooting, as it 
is called, of the Pinnated Grouse, forms a very pleasing bass to the 
whole. 
