Waterbury Democrat., 1901-08-31
NIGHT HAWKS.
Bird of the Twilight Shadows, Not of
 Darkness.

Darkness.
 The night-hawk is bird often seen and yet bird of which little is com monly known. It's name would lead one to think that it is night bird, but this is wrong, as it does not roam about during the night at all. Like the fla miliar song birds oPthe woods, it rests at night. 1t received it's name on ac- count of its habit of appearing only during the later afternoon or on cloudy days. A proper name for this bird would be "a twilight bird,' as it cannot be said to belong either to night or day.
 If you have ever lived on farm, you will recall hearing, on some still, hot evening, whirring, long-drawn-out note high above your head, and on looking up, you will remember how surprised you were to behold q small bird with big wings falling straight down toward the earth, and then how much more surprised you were when the bird suddenly turned in a graceful upward curve and went straight back again into the darkness above. That was the night-hawk on hunt for it's supper. After that first meeting, you will remember how little you ever learned of its habits of living.
 These birds winter just south of the United States. They arrive in Indiana with the heading of the oat and wheat fields, and stay until September | Sometimes they summer as far north as the Hudson Bay, and winter as far south as Brazil They travel from one | YNIn %<1n !, sx. ing focks. To see these birds travel ing Is a sight not soon to be forgotten They will follow river or stream for miles and seem to use these natural | highways as their guide from one home to another.
 A hunt for the nest of this bird is a hopeless task in some localities of the | state, as they do not always breed I They live in the field and it is there l you may expect to find their nest, if l one is to be found. 1t will be built or the ground, and there will not be 8 1 straw or stick or cord in the home. Ii l will be just q hole in the ground, fo1 this bird is above all things, lazy, and if there is any material other than bare earth near the home 1t will be because it grew there You will find two eggs of dirty color in the nest, providing some snake or gopher has not made | away with them. Exposed as these eggs are, it is wonder the bird does not disappear from the face of the earth. Nearly every animal that lives eats eggs.
 The night-hawk lives almost entirely on bugs, bees and insects. They are soiswift in their action that they have little difficulty in. securing a square meal every hour they hunt. They arc so marked that they can easily secure their prey. They are dark, just twi l light color underneath, and the real distance they are from you is a mat ter of doubt. They have wish-bone | shaped white mark on the throat. by which they can always be known.
 The noise made by this bird when descending, is made by it's wings ir contact with the air. It's throat cry is a squeak, and unpleasant to the ear The bird is very attractive when ii flies about in the air, as its curvings are as smooth and graceful as if they had been planned and rehearsed fo1 weeks. Such perfect control does il have over its power of flight that il can drop toward the ground with 1 Tightening rapidity and when scarce 1 two feet above the surface reverse It's action and sail again in graceful GIT. | cles toward the sky.-Indianapolis | News.