AVHIP-POOR-WILL. 
it being then clear moonlight. These repeated their notes three 
or four times, and were heard no more. It is highly probable 
that they migrate during the evening and night. 
The Whip-poor-will is nine inches and a half long, and nine.r 
teen inches 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 up- 
wards, 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 colour within, and 
beset along the sides with a number of long thick elastic bris- 
tles, 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 in- 
sects: the eyes are very large, full, and bluish black; the plu- 
mage above is so variegated with black, pale cream, brown, and 
rust colour, 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 colour; 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 distinguishes those of the Night-hawk; 
chin black, streaked with brown; a narrow semicircle of white 
