CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW. 
437 
two of our species, the Short-winged or Chuck-will’s-widow, 
and the Long-winged, or Night Hawk, to both of which they 
indiscriminately attribute the notes and habits of the Whip- 
poor-will. 
The Chuck-will’s-widow,'so called from its notes which seem 
exactly to articulate those words, arrives on the sea coast of 
Georgia about the middle of March, and in Virginia early in 
April. It commences its singular call generally in the evening, 
soon after sunset, and continues it with short occasional inter- 
ruptions for several hours. Towards morning these repetitions 
are renewed, and continue until dawn has fairly appeared. Du- 
ring the day it is altogether silent. This note, or call, instantly 
attracts the attention of a stranger, and is strikingly different 
from that of the Whip-poor-will. In sound and articulation it 
seems plainly to express the words which have been applied to 
it [Chuck-wiWs-widoiv), pronouncing each syllable leisurely 
and distinctly, putting the principal emphasis on the last word. 
In a still evening it may be heard at the distance of nearly a 
mile, the tones of its voice being stronger and more full than 
those of the Whip-poor-will, who utters his with much greater 
rapidity. In the Chickasaw country, and throughout the whole 
Mississippi territory, I found the present species very numerous 
in the months of April and May, keeping up a continued noise 
during the whole evening, and in moonlight throughout the 
whole of the night. 
The flight of this bird is low, skimming about at a few feet 
above the surface of the ground, frequently settling on old logs, 
or on the fences, and from thence sweeping around in pursuit 
of various winged insects that fly in the night. Like the Whip- 
poor-will it prefers the declivities of glens and other deeply sha- 
ded places, making the surrounding mountains ring with echoes 
the whole evening. I several times called the attention of the 
Chickasaws to the notes of this bird, on which occasions they 
always assumed a grave and thoughtful aspect; but it appeared 
to me that they made no distinction between the two species; 
