OAPRiMULGiDa:. BIRDS. Cypselh).®. 
mouths, each parent taking one. In shape and 
markings they closely resemble the Whip-poor-will, 
differing chiefly in their much larger size. 
NUTTALL’S WHIP-POOR-WILL [A. nuttalU).— 
This bird is readily distinguished from the other 
North American species by the transverse, not lon- 
gitudinal, lines on the top of tlie head, the narrow 
wliite tip of tail on both webs, and the inferior size, 
as well as by other points of difference. Audubon 
first described it from a specimen captured in the 
llocky Mountains. Mr. Nuttall found it on the 
Upper Platte River. In all parts of Oregon and 
California it is seen. Mr. Ridgway describes its 
notes as “much like those of the Whip-poor-will of 
the Eastern States, e.xcept that the first syllable is 
left off, the call sounding like simply ‘poor-will !’ the 
accent on the last syllable. It frequents the dry 
mesa and foot-hills of the mountains, and lives 
almost entirely on the ground, where its two white, 
unspotted eggs are deposited beneath some small, 
scraggy sage-bush, without any sign of a nest what- 
ever.” Both sexes incubate. 
NIGHT HAWK {Ohordeiles popetue). — -'I’his is a 
well-known bird in the Northern and Eastern States 
during the summer months. At early twilight they 
may be seen coursing through the air, above the 
trees or houses, in search of insects. Their flight is 
very rapid, their long wings giving quick, powerful 
sweeps ; and as they dash about in many eccentric 
movemejits, busily gleaning their food, they utter, at 
oft-repeated intervals, their short note, or squeak, 
which almost exactly resembles that of the Common 
Snipe. In most portions of New York City these 
birds maybe heard in their season. During the twi- 
light, they are heard uttering their peculiar notes di- 
rectly over the noisy streets, yet few of the denizens of 
the great city have any knowledge of them. The great 
abundance of insect life in the vicinity of our large 
cities attracts them. Dr. Brewer says : “ 'I’he modern 
style of house-building, with flat Mansard roofs, has 
also added to the inducements, affording safe and 
convenient shelter to the birds at night, and serving 
also for the deposition of their eggs. lu quite a 
number of instances they were known to lay their 
eggs, and to rear their young, on the flat roofs of 
houses in the city. Instances of this have been seen 
in Philadelphia also. The movements, evolution and 
general habits of this species, in the pursuit of prey, 
bear little resemblance to those of the Antrostomi. 
but are much more like those of the Falconidm. 
They fly high in the air — often so high as to be 
hardly visible — and traverse the air, moving back- 
ward and forward in the manner of a Hawk. At 
times they remain perfectly stationary for a few 
moments, and then suddenly and rapidly dart off, 
their wings causing a very peculiar vibratory sound. 
As they fly they utter a very loud and shrill cry, 
which it is almost impossible to describe, but often 
appearing to come from close at hand when the bird 
is high in the air.” — North American Birds. 'I’here 
is a striking difference in the breeding habits of the 
several members of this family. While the Whip- 
poor-will selects the shady, secluded forests, the 
clvii 
Night Hawk lays her eggs on the barren heath or 
dry, open pasture ; frequently on a flat rock. The 
moss-covered rocks of these localities are so near 
the color and markings of the bird, her eggs and her 
young, that, though it may seem a lack of parental 
care in thus carelessly dropping her eggs, yet doubt- 
less there is as much safety in this very absence of 
care as in any other case. Wilson says; “ As soon 
as incubation commences, the male keeps a most 
vigilant watch around. He is then more frequently 
seen playing about in the air above the place, even 
during the day, mounting by several quick vibrations 
of the wings, then a few slower, uttering all the while 
a sharp, harsh squeak, till, having gained the highest 
point, he suddenly precipitates himself, head fore- 
most, and with great rapidity, down sixty or eighty 
feet, wheeling up again as suddenly. At this in- 
stant is heard a loud, booming sound, very much re- 
sembling that produced by blowing strongly into the 
bung-hole of an empty hogshead, and which is 
doubtless produced by the sudden expansion of his 
capacious mouth while he passes through the air. 
This singular habit belongs exclusively to the male. 
'I'he female has, indeed, the same hoarse note, and 
much the same mode of flight, but never precipitates 
herself in the manner of the male.” 
WESTERN NIGHT HAWK {Ohordeiles popetve ; 
var. henryii). — ^This species was first described by 
Mr. Cassin in 1855, from specimens procured in New 
Mexico by Dr. Henry, in whose honor it is named. 
It is differently colored, and in other respects varies 
from the Common Night Hawk. 'I'he habits are 
precisely the same in the two. It inhabits the west- 
ern provinces of North America, except the Pacific 
Coast region and 'I’exas. 
TEXAS NIGHT HAWK {G. acutipennis).— '\'\\\s. 
southern bird has the markings quite different from 
those of the popetue, and is much smaller. Mr. 
Lawrence first described it as a new species in 1856. 
In most respects it resembles the others in habits ; 
though it is not known to make the downward 
swoop, neither does it utter the hoarse note, nor sail 
so high in air. 
Family— CYPSELIDHS. 
This family includes the Swifts, or Swallow-like 
birds. They were formerly associated with the 
Swallows, but are now found to differ essentially in 
structure, and are rightly considered to form a sepa- 
rate order. T'hey are found to be closely related to 
the Humming-birds. The Swifts are found in all 
parts of the globe ; the Chimney Swallow being the 
most familiar example in America. The edible nests 
of China and Japan are made by a small species of 
this family. They have the salivary glands largely 
developed, and the secretion, in the case of the east- 
ern species, forms the only ingredient in the construc- 
tion of the nest. In those of the Chimney Swallow, 
the twigs are glued together by the saliva. 'I'he 
eggs are pure white in all the species. A species of 
Guatemala forms a tube several feet in length on the 
under side of an overhanging rock, the material 
being the down of plants, which the bird catches 
