NIGHT HAWK. 
7 
own country. Of this I shall endeavour to divest it in 
the 
present account. 
^J'rce species only, of this genus, are found within 
the United States ; the chuek-will’s-widow, the whip- 
poor-will, and the night hawk. The first of these is 
confined to those States lying south of Maryland ; the 
other two are tbiind generally over the Union, hut are 
Irequcntly confounded one with the other, and hy some 
supposed to he one and the same bird. A comparison 
of this with the figure of tlic whip-poor-will will satisfy 
those who still have their douhts on this subject; and 
the great difference of manners which distinguishes each 
will render this still more striking aud satisfactory. 
On the last week in April, the night hawk commonly 
makes its first appearance in this ]iart of Pennsylvania. 
At what particular period they enter (ieorgia, I am 
unable to say ; hut 1 find, hy my notes, that, in passing 
to New Orleans hy land, 1 first observed this bird iu 
Kentucky on the 21st of April. They soon after dis- 
perse generally over the conntry, from the sea shore to 
the mountains, even to the heights of the Alleghany ; 
and are seen, towards evening, in pairs, playing about, 
high in air, pursuing their prey, wasps, flies, beetles, 
and various other winged insects of the larger sort. 
About the middle of May, the female begins to lay. 
No previous preparation or construction of nest is 
made ; though doubtless the partiouhir spot has heeu 
reconnoitred and determined on. This is sometimes iu 
an open space in the woods, frequently iu a ploughed 
field, or in the corner of a corn field. The eggs are 
placed on the hare ground, in all cases on a dry situa- 
tion, where the colour of the leaves, ground, stones, or 
other circumjaeent parts of the surface may resemble 
the geiuiral tint of the eggs, and tlicreby render them 
less easy to he discovered. The eggs are most com- 
monly two, rather oblong, equally thick at both ends, 
ot a dirty bhiish white, and iiiarked w ith inuiiiiierable 
touches of dark olive brow'ii. To the iiiiincdiate neigli- 
Imurhood ot this spot the male and female confine 
Ihemselyes, roosting on the high trees adjoining during 
