The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-08-14
THE WHIP.POOR.WILL.

XR6 " 0xx exVVQe WILL
There has been for some time II
Hartford a standing inquiry concerning
the habits of the whip-poor-will; not SC
much its habits of eating, nesting and
the like. but of song. Does it, for in.
stance, sing in the morningY One per
tinacious inquirer even versified the
query, and insisted upon inilicting its
rhymes upon a small segment of the
unoffending public. Inquiry of several
persons born and bred in the country
disclosed the information that they had
never heard the whip-poor-will sing in
the morning. The subject had ramif-
cations, and into some of these the
searcher was led. The remarkable shy
ness of the bird was discussed. II have
never seen whip-poor-will." said one
country-bred person. although I have
heard many of them sing" Neither
have seen one" said another, whose
love of nature is in his very bones.
"They keep close in their haunts. and
although l have often searched for them
l have never been successful" A
reader of the atlantic noted that in one
of that magazines bird articles the cx-
ceeding modesty of tho whip-poor-will
was alluded to as a noteworthy char
acteristic. Few people, comparatively,
have had the pleasure of getting sight
of the bird. So it seemed to be settled
that the whip-poor-will does not sing in
the morning; that it confines its plant
i've melody to the night; and that it is
SO shy that little is generally known
concerning its quiet habits.
Cyclopedias, however, tell q different
story bearing on the interrogatory.
The whip-poor-will does sing in the
morning, as well rs ut night
A citizen of long experience, WHO was
born and brought up in country
town, said he had beard the whip poor
will sing in the morning
"Yes. sir, often" And others have
since come to his support.
'.Have you ever seen onep"
Eyes, sir. They are black and
small-a little bigger than a robin,
perhaps. And l know q great deal
about their habits. They lay their
eggs only two arc seen at o timo-in
the open field on stone l have seen
many of these.
"And another thing, when they
start to fly they go up in straight line
way, way up ever so high; you might
think they were never coming down
again. And they make o noise at
short intervals like peep peep
peep When they descend they alight
ut the point of starting. just before
which they emit a harsh and
peculiar noise"
THAT'S the night-hawk." said the
listener when the informant had depart
ID. HE goes up just like that on tho
edge of the evening, makes just the
same noise, and when he comes down
8 just as harshly expressive. That's
he night-hawk exactly"
The night-hawk and the whip-poor-will
Ire allied and resemble each other
n size. The whip-poor-will is ten
inches long; the hawk nine. They fly
It the same dusky hours and are fire.
luently heard in the morning; and save |
or the difference in their cries and |
method of flight might be easily con-
ounded. The whip-poor-will is sup
'osed to sing from alder bushes gener-
lily. the dense growth of which is con-
,enial; and not necessarily from woods
N low or swampy land. although the
lder grows on moist ground.
A friend relates that at his country
ome whip-poor-will was in the habit
+ sitting and singing at dusk
n the stepping-stone before much
sed door on the north side of the
ouse. The family were very careful
OF to alarm him, that they might
7atch him. when the moon rose
Hartford Evening Post.
~ n q |