WHIP-POOE-WILL. 
155 
diverging along the head ; a yellowish-white line over the eye ; wings barred 
with yellowish-red and brownish-black, and minutely sprinkled with the 
latter colour, as are the wing-coverts, which, together with the scapulars, are 
largely spotted with black, and tinged with grey ; tail similarly barred and 
dotted ; terminal half of the inner webs of the three outer feathers white, 
their extremities light red ; lower parts dull reddish-yellow, sprinkled with 
dusky ; a band of whitish feathers barred with black on the fore neck 
Female like the male, but without white on the tail. 
Male, 121, 26. Female, 134, 30. 
WHIP-POOR-WILL. 
Caprimulgus VOCIPERUS, Wils. 
PLATE XLII. — Male and Female. 
This bird, makes its appearance in most parts of our Western and Southern 
Districts, at the approach of spring, but is never heard, and indeed scarcely 
ever occurs, in the State of Louisiana. The more barren and mountainous 
parts of the Union seem to suit it best. Accordingly, the open Barrens of 
Kentucky, and the country through which the Alleghany ridges pass, are 
inOre abundantly supplied with it than any other region. Yet, wherever 
a small tract of country, thinly covered with timber, occurs in ,the Middle 
Districts, there the Whip-poor-will is heard during the spring and early 
autumn. 
This species of Night-jar, like its relative, the Chuck-will’s-widow, is 
seldom seen during the day, unless when accidentally discovered in a state 
of repose, when, if startled, it rises and flies off, but only to such a distance 
as it considers necessary, in order to secure it from the farther intrusion of 
the disturber of its noon-day slumbers. Its flight is very low, light, swift, 
noiseless, and protracted, as the bird moves over the places which it inhabits, 
in pursuit of the moths, beetles, and other insects, of which its,food is com- 
posed. During the day, it sleeps on the ground, the lowest branches of 
small trees and bushes, or the fallen trunks of trees so abundantly dispersed 
through the woods. In such situations, you may approach wi.thin a few feet 
of it ; and, should you observe it whilst asleep, and not make any noise 
sufficient to alarm it, will suffer you to pass quite near without taking flight, 
as it seems to sleep with great soundness, especially about the middle of the 
