168 
WHIP-POOR-WILL. 
inner edge, to serve as a comb to clear the bird of vermin ; the 
whole lower parts of the body are marked with transverse lines 
of dusky and yellowish. The tail is somewhat shorter than 
the wings when shut, is handsomely forked, and consists of 
ten broad feathers ; the mouth is extremely large, and of a 
reddish flesh colour within; there are no bristles about the 
bill ; the tongue is very small, and attached to the inner sur- 
face of the mouth. 
The female measures about nine inches in length, and 
twenty-two in breadth ; differs in having no white band on 
the tail, but has the spot of white on the wing; wants the 
triangular spot of white on the throat, instead of which there 
is a dully defined mark of a reddish cream colour ; the wings 
are nearly black, all the quills being slightly tipt with white ; 
the tail is as in the male, and minutely tipt with white ; all 
the scapulars, and whole upper parts, are powdered with a 
much lighter gray. 
There is no description of the present species in Turton’s 
translation of Linnseus. The characters of the genus given 
in the same work are also in this case incorrect, viz. “ mouth 
furnished with a series of bristles; tail not forked,” — the 
Night Hawk having nothing of the former, and its tail being 
largely forked. 
WHIP-POOR-WILL CAPRIMULGUS VOCIFERUS. 
Plate XLI. Fig. 1. male. Fig. 2. female. Fig. 3. young. 
Peak's Museum, No. 7721, male ; 7722, female. 
CAPRIMULGUS VOCIFERUS.— Wilson. 
Caprimulgus vociferus, Bonap . Synop. p. 61 North. Zool. ii. p. 336. — Whip- 
poor-will, Aud. Orn. Biog. i. p. 422, pi. 32. 
This is a singular and very celebrated species, universally 
noted over the greater part of the United States for the loud 
reiterations of his favourite call in spring ; and yet personally 
he is but little known, most people being unable to distinguish 
