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The Whip-Poor-Will, or lejfer Goat-Sucker. 
T his Bird, for Shape, Colour, and Agreement in moft Particulars, is like the Bird 
called in England the Night-Hawky or Goat-Suckery except that it hath fome Marks 
different, and is a third Part lefs. It is called in Virginiay Whip-Poor-Willy from its Cry, 
which nearly refembles thofe Words j the Figure reprefents it of its natural Size. 
The Bill is very fmall, of a Black Colour, yet the Mouth is very wide, the Angles or 
Corners of it extending under and beyond the Eyes; the Sides of the Head round the 
Eyes are of a light Brown, inclining to Afh-colour j on the Throat it hath a Half-Moon, 
like Spots of White, the Corners of which turn up towards the Ears; the Top of the 
Head, upper Side of the Neck, Back, upper Coverts of the Wings and Tail, are cover’d 
with dark brown Feathers, tranfverfly barred, and fprinkled with a lighter Brown, 
and fome little Mixture of Afh-colour, mixed and blended in an irregular Manner j from 
the Bill there pafTes over the Eyes down the Sides of the Neck fome bright Spots cf 
Orange-colour; and on the upper Coverts of the Wing are fome pretty diflind; 
Spots of light Brown ; the Qmlls are Dusky, or near Black; the five firft have a white 
Spot paffes through them, which pafTes through both Webs and Shafts, except the outer 
Web, and the Shaft of the outermoff Quill; this Spot appears within and without Side 
of the Wings; the covert Feathers within Side of the Wings are White, with a Cloud of 
Orange barred a-crofs with tranfverfe dusky Lines; the whole under Side, and covert 
Feathers under the Tail are White, with fome Mixture of faint Orange, regularly crofTed 
with Lines of dusky Black; the lower Part of the white Spot on the Throat is tindured 
with Orange-colour ; the Legs and Feet are very fmall, feather’d a little below the 
Knees, of a Flefh-colour; the outer and middle Toes are joined a little way by a Mem¬ 
brane ; the two Middle Claws are toothed within-fide ; the Tail hath on each Side to¬ 
wards the End a white Spot in the Feathers. 
Mr. Mark Catesby obliged me with this Bird; it was brought from Virgmiay and there 
was another brought with it, which compared in all its Marks, but more obfeure, which 
I fuppofe to be the Female. 
To illuftrate this Hiflory, I fhall add a Q^tation from a Letter Mr. Catesby received 
with thefe Birds from a Gentleman in America. “ They come to Virginia about the 
“ Middle of Aprily from which Time, till the End of 'Ju 7 iey they are heard every Night, 
“ beginning about Dusk, and continuing till Break of Day ; but it is chiefly in the upper 
“ or Weflern Parts that they are fo frequent: I never heard but one in the Maritime 
Parts; but near the Mountains in the Month of Mayy within a few Minutes after Sun 
fet, they begin, and make fo very loud and fhrill a Noife all Night, which the Ecchoes 
“ from the Mountains increafe to fuch a Degree, that the firfl; Time I lodged there I 
could hardly deep : They are feldom feen in the Day-time. The Indians imagine thefe 
“ Birds are the Souls of their Anceftors formerly flaughtered by the Englijloy and fay, 
“ that they never appeared in their Country before that Slaughter. Many People here 
look on them as Birds of Ill-omen. I have been informed they lay two Eggs of a dark 
‘‘ Green, fpotted and fcrolled with Black, in the plain beaten Paths, without any Sign 
“ of a Nefl, upon which they frt very clofe, and will fuffer a near Approach before they 
fly off.” 
rhe 
