WHIP-POOR-WILL. 
249 
in extent; the bill is blackish, a full quarter of an inch long, much 
stronger than that of the Night-hawk, and bent a little at the point, the 
under mandible arched a little upwards, following the curvature of the 
upper; the nostrils are prominent and tubular, their openings directed 
forward ; the mouth is extravagantly large, of a pale flesh color within, 
and beset along the sides with a number of lone thick elastic bristles, 
the longest of which extends more than half an inch beyond the point 
of the bill, end in fine hair, and curve inwards ; these seem to serve as 
feelers ; and prevent the escape of winged insects : the eyes are very 
large, full, and bluish black ; the plumage above is so variegated with 
black, pale cream, brown, and rust color, sprinkled and powdered in 
such minute streaks and spots, as to defy description ; the upper part 
of the head is of a light brownish gray, marked with a longitudinal 
streak of black, with others radiating from it ; the back is darker, finely 
streaked with a less deep black ; the scapulars are very light whitish 
ochre, beautifully variegated with two or three oblique streaks of very 
deep black ; the tail is rounded, consisting of ten feathers, the exterior 
one an inch and a quarter shorter than the middle ones, the three outer 
feathers on each side are blackish brown for half their length, thence 
pure white to the tips, the exterior one is edged with deep brown nearly 
to the tip ; the deep brown of these feathers is regularly studded with 
light brown spots ; the four middle ones are without the white at the 
ends, but beautifully marked with herring-bone figures of black and 
light ochre finely powdered ; cheeks and sides of the head of a brown 
orange or burnt color ; the wings, when shut, reach scarcely to the 
middle of the tail, and are elegantly spotted with very light and dark 
brown, but are entirely without the large spot of white which distin- 
guishes those of the Night-hawk ; chin black, streaked with brown ; a 
narrow semicircle of white passes across the throat ; breast and belly 
irregularly mottled and streaked with black and yellow ochre ; the legs 
and feet are of a light purplish flesh color, seamed with white ; the 
former feathered before, nearly to the feet ; the two exterior toes are 
joined to the middle one as far as the first joint by a broad membrane ; 
the inner edge of the middle claw is pectinated, and from the circum- 
stance of its being frequently found with small portions of down adher- 
ing to the teeth, is probably employed as a comb to rid the plumage of 
its head of vermin, this being the principal and almost only part so 
infested in all birds. 
The female is about an inch less in length and in extent ; the bill, 
mustaches, nostrils, &c, as in the male. She differs in being much 
lighter on the upper parts, seeming as if powdered with grains of meal ; 
and instead of the white on the three lateral tail feathers, has them 
tipped for about three-quarters of an inch with a cream color ; the bar 
across the throat is also of a brownish ochre ; the cheeks and region of 
