. Birds of California; an introduction to more than three hundred common birds of the state and adjacent islands . se on a limb, their feet, like those of the poor-wills, being too weak to perch. Here they sleep, trust-ing for safety to protective coloring, and refuse to moveunless startled into Hii^lit. They make no nest, but lay their two speckled eggson the bare ground usually in i)lain view of the passer-by,and not infrequently on the flat gravel roofs of a well-drained, rather sunny place is selected,and the eggs are less frequently found than one would 196 LAND BIRDS sup
. Birds of California; an introduction to more than three hundred common birds of the state and adjacent islands . se on a limb, their feet, like those of the poor-wills, being too weak to perch. Here they sleep, trust-ing for safety to protective coloring, and refuse to moveunless startled into Hii^lit. They make no nest, but lay their two speckled eggson the bare ground usually in i)lain view of the passer-by,and not infrequently on the flat gravel roofs of a well-drained, rather sunny place is selected,and the eggs are less frequently found than one would 196 LAND BIRDS suppose, because their color usually blends so well withthat of their surroundings. Incubation lasts sixteen days, and it is a question howfar the male shares in it. In some cases he does; butas a rule he prefers to watch from a limb overhead solong as there are eggs only. So soon as these becomeanimated bits of bird life, his interest is aroused, and heis quite as ready to guard tliem as is the mother. Thenewly hatched young are little balls of rusty down,mottled slightly with dusky, and have the characteristic. 420. NiGHTHAWK. Crept back as often as she teas driven aicaij.^ large head, wide mouth, and short tliick neck of theadults, so that you know at once to what family theybelong. They are carefully guarded by one of theparents continually, and if molested they will likely beremoved to another hiding-place; but the nighthawksremove their young less frequently than the feeding of the nestlings is accomplished by amodified regurgitation, the small insects being broughtin the gular pouch or cheeks of the parent. A femalethat we found on the nest would not leave the young WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 197 until flushed, and then she crept back as often as shewas driven away, all the time spitting like a cat andruffling licr feathers like an angry owl. I believe thiswas due to her courage in defending her young and notto any stupidity. The next day she had removed them,an
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