. The land-birds and game-birds of New England; with descriptions of the birds, their nests and eggs, their habits and notes, with illustrations;. Birds. GOATSUCKERS. 309 thickly and finely marked with lilac, dark brown, and some- times slate-color. c. The Night" Hawks" have not been named alto- gether appropriately, for, though to a certain extent crepuscular (be- longing to twilight or dusk), they are not nocturnal. There is, how- ever, a strong resemblance in their general method of flight to that of certain Hawks, as well as to that of the Swifts, and the latter part of their nam
. The land-birds and game-birds of New England; with descriptions of the birds, their nests and eggs, their habits and notes, with illustrations;. Birds. GOATSUCKERS. 309 thickly and finely marked with lilac, dark brown, and some- times slate-color. c. The Night" Hawks" have not been named alto- gether appropriately, for, though to a certain extent crepuscular (be- longing to twilight or dusk), they are not nocturnal. There is, how- ever, a strong resemblance in their general method of flight to that of certain Hawks, as well as to that of the Swifts, and the latter part of their name is warranted by their general appearance at a distance. They fly with ease, and sometimes, when favored by a wind, with much rapidity. They often mount to a great height, so as to be fairly lost among the clouds, and comparative- ly seldom skim over the earth, in ~ ^„ „. ,^„tt i ,, /i\ A. J, .1 -iTTi • -11 ^'^' ^^- ^'S^* ; ii) the manner or the WhippoorwiU. They move through the air very irregularly, and often change their course at nearly every flapping of their wings, as they dart about in the search of the winged insects upon which they feed. They fly about freely in the day-time, especially if it be cloudy, but they are generally rather silent in very sunny weather. They occasionally alight upon the ground, and move about, but whether in search of earth or insects I am uncertain, — probably the former. The Night" Hawks " are common summer residents through- out New England, but, according to Mr. Allen,^*'^ do not win- ter in Florida, as many Whippoorwills do. They usually reach Massachusetts in the earlier part of May, or sometimes, it is said, in April. Separate individuals or pairs are not un- common, but they may often be seen migrating in companies, containing even two dozen, for they are more or less gregari- ous throughout the year. They show a fondness for pasture- land and uncultivated districts, though quite common in "' J. A. A
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1895
