WHIPPOORWILL, a North American nightjar ( Astrosionms In this genus the rictal bristles are greatly developed and reach far beyond the tip of the small, weak bill, and sometimes they are fringed. The nostrils are not tubular as in Nyctidroww.s. The whip poorwill is ordinarily 10 inches long with a spread of wings of about 18 inches, the mouth bristles are simple, the tail long and rounded, and the soft lax plumage closely and delicately mottled with gray, black white and yellowish brown, the female with the tips of the outer tail-feathers tawny, the same parts in the male white. These birds inhabit the United States and British provinces east of the plains, and breed chiefly northward, throughout most of this area. Being migratory, they reach the Middle and New England States in May. The whippoorwills are strictly nocturnal, but usually become quiet by midnight, except on moon light nights when they continue active till dawn; but at all times they are most vociferous during the early evening. The song is a clear, ener getic whistle, aptly syllabified in the name, strongly accented on the last syllable, and is repeated many times; then, after a short pause begins anew. They fly noiselessly in pursuit of
skimming low over stone walls and bushes, or even alighting on the ground to pick up an insect. Large moths, nighttlying beetles and insects frequenting forest borders are their chief food. When they pass dose to a person at night they may be heard to utter a low murmuring sound. Unlike the great ma jority of birds they always perch along and not across a bough, a peculiarity which they share with other weak-footed birds. Whippoorwills do not fly abroad during cloudy days like the night hawk, and as a consequence their appear ance is unknown to many persons to whom the song is quite familiar. No nest is made, and the two elliptical, creamy white eggs, marked with brown and lavender, are laid in a depres sion on the bare ground, or a log. When dan ger threatens the old birds often carry the eggs or young in their mouth to a place of safety. A much larger species of similar colors and habits, but more southern in its range, is the chuck-will's-widow (A. corulissensis). (q. v. ). In this species the rictal bristles arc provided with lateral filaments.