WHIP-POOR-WILL. 
455 
puted point, the particulars of which he now submits to those 
interested in the question. 
“ Thirteen of those birds usually called Night-hawks, which 
dart about in the air like Swallows, and sometimes descend 
with rapidity from a great height, making a hollow sounding 
noise like that produced by blowing into the bung-hole of an 
empty hogshead, were shot at different times, and in different 
places, and accurately examined both outwardly and by dissec- 
tion. Nine of these were found to be males, and four females. 
The former all corresponded in the markings and tints of their 
plumage; the latter also agreed in their marks, differing slightly 
from the males, though evidently of the same species. Two 
others were shot as they rose from the nests, or rather from 
the eggs, which in both cases were two in number, lying on 
the open ground. These also agreed in the markings of their 
plumage with the four preceding; and on dissection were found 
to be females. The eggs were also secured. A Whip-poor-will 
was shot in the evening, while in the act of repeating his usual 
and well known notes. This bird was found to be a male, differ- 
ing in many remarkable particulars from all the former. Three 
others were shot at different times during the day, in solitary 
and dark shaded parts of the woods. Two of these were found 
to be females, one of which had been sitting on two eggs. The 
two females resembled each other almost exactly ; the male al- 
so corresponded in its markings with the one first found; and all 
four were evidently of one species. The eggs differed from the 
former both in colour and markings. 
“ The differences between these two birds were as follow: 
the sides of the mouth in both sexes of the Whip-poor-will 
were beset with ranges of long and very strong bristles, extend- 
ing more than half an inch beyond the point of the bill; both 
sexes of the Night-hawk were entirely destitute of bristles. The 
bill of the Whip-poor-will was also more than twice the length 
of that of the Night-hawk. The long wing quills, of both sexes 
of the Night-hawk, were of a deep brownish black, with a large 
spot of white nearly in their middle; and when shut the tips of 
