182 
BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
young’ poultry is simply absurd, as it requires only a careless examina¬ 
tion of a specimen to prove conclusively that it would be physically im¬ 
possible for them to capture such prey. 
The great mistake of applying improper vernacular names to birds, 
was clearly demonstrated during the enforcement of the scalp act of 
1885 , when commissioners, of whom I have knowledge, took the stand 
that they were obliged to allow bounty on the Nighthawk, because it was 
known as a “ hawk.” 
Audubon writing of this species states that the food consists entirely 
of insects, especially beetles, although they also feed on moths and cat¬ 
erpillars, and are very expert in catching crickets and grasshoppers, 
with which they sometimes gorge themselves, as they fly over the ground 
with great rapidity. “ When flying closely over the water they occa¬ 
sionally drink in the manner of swallows.” 
The food materials of eleven of these birds are given in the following 
table: 
NO. 
Date. 
Locality. 
Food-Materials. 
1 
May 5, 1879. 
Chester county. Pa. 
Flies and other insects. 
2 
July 20. 1879. 
Delaware county. Pa. 
Grasshoppers. 
3 
May 30. 1880. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Beetles and larvae. 
4 
Aug. 13, 1880. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Many crickets, etc. 
5 
Aug. 13. 1880. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Many crickets, etc 
0 
Aug. 13. 1880. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Many crickets, etc. 
7 
May 20. 1883. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Water beetles. 
8 
May 28. 1883. 
Chester county. Pa. 
Beetles and two lime-like masses. 
9 
April —. 1885. 
Orange county. Fla.. 
Various insects. 
10 
April — 1885. 
Orange county. Fla. 
Beetles and large hies. 
11 
June 1, 1880. . . . 
Chester county, Pa. 
Various insects. 
Suborder CYPSELI. Swifts. 
Family MICROPODID.®. Swifts. 
Subfamily CHjETURIN^I. Spine-tailed Swifts. 
Genus CH-ZETURA Stephens. 
Chaetura pelagica (Linn.). 
Chimney Swift; Chimney-bird. 
Description (Plate 90). 
Bill small, gape large, but not bristled ; tail short, tarsus and toes naked ; wings 
long ; length about5| inches; extent about 12 ' 2 ; wing about 5.10 ; sooty-brown, ex¬ 
cept throat which is much paler than other parts ; wings blackish. 
Habitat .—Eastern North America, north to Labrador and the Fur countries, west 
to the plains, and passing south of the United States in winter. 
The Chimney-bird, unless resting on its nest or clinging to the sooty 
chimney sides, is always seen flying. In Pennsylvania these birds are 
generally first observed about the last week in April. In the early au- 
