NYCTIBIUS. 399 
1. Nyctibius jamaicensis. 
Wood-Owle, Sloane, Nat. Hist. Jamaica, ii. p. 295 (1725) °. 
Cyprimulgus jumaicensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 1029 °. | 
Nyctibius jamaicensis, Gosse, Birds Jamaica, p. 41°; Ill. t. 6*; Salv. Ibis, 1866, p. 194°; 1889, 
p- 368°; P. Z. S. 1870, p. 2037; Lawr. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 832°*; Ridgw. Pr. 
U.S. Nat. Mus. iv. p. 336°; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. p. 822°; Hartert, Cat. Birds Brit. 
Mus. xvi. p. 625". 
Caprimulgus cornutus, Vieill. N. Dict. d’Hist. N. p. 245°”. 
Nyctibius cornutus, Cab. J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 314 (note) **. 
Nyctibius pectoralis, Gould, Icon. Av, ii. t. 8. 
Supra griseus, albo irroratus ; plumis omnibus rhachidibus nigris, capite summo et humeris nigris; tectricibus 
alarum minoribus rufescente tinctis: subtus griseus, albo irroratus; rhachidibus omnibus anguste nigris, 
pectore maculis distinctis nigris ornato ; alis nigricantibus, fasciis maculosis indistinctis notatis, subalaribus 
nigris albo guttatis; cauda nigra, profuse griseo marmorata, fasciis vix distinctis notata. Long. tota 
circa 16:0, alee 12-0, caude 8-1, tarsi 0°5, dig. med. cum ungue 1:3. (Descr. maris ex Presidio de 
Mazatlan, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Mexico, Presidio de Mazatlan (forrer 1"), Valley of Mexico (Herrera), Jalapa 
(Hoge), Mirador (U. S. Nat. Mus.), La Antigua in Vera Cruz (MZ. Trujillo), Teapa 
in Tabasco (Mrs. H. H. Smith), Santa Efigenia, Tehuantepec (Sumichrast 8) ; 
GuatemaLa (Jus. Berol.'*), near the city (Constancia®), Vera Paz (J. Rodriquez), 
Tactic (Sarg); Honpuras, Ruatan I. (G. &. Gaumer®); Costa Rica, Sarchi (U. 8. 
Nat. Mus.®); Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui (drcé7), Lion Hill (M*Leannan).— 
SourH America, from Colombia to Guiana, Brazil, and Paraguay !2; Jamatca! 2, 
There is much difference both in colour and size between individuals of this species, 
some specimens being greyer, others more rufescent. Mr. Hartert is disposed to 
divide it into a large northern and a small southern race, the latter being Gould’s 
N. pectoralis'*; but as gradations are clearly indicated, and the range probably 
uninterrupted, such a division seems hardly necessary or possible. 
This Myctidius has been long known, having been mentioned by Sloane, in his 
‘Natural History of Jamaica,’ as a ‘* Wood-Owle’?!, and, being thus associated with 
the Island of Jamaica, received from Gmelin the name of Caprimulqus jamaicensis*. 
Though not found in any other island of the Antilles, it is by no means confined to 
Jamaica, but enjoys a very wide range over ‘Tropical America, at least as far south as 
Bahia in Brazil!!. Northwards it occurs sparingly over the whole of Central America 
and Mexico, as far as Mazatlan on the west and the State of Vera Cruz on the east. 
Herrera says !° that in the Valley of Mexico it is migratory, and when residing in that 
district it frequents the large pine-trees, where it is with difficulty detected. In Guate- 
mala we never met with it ourselves, but there is a specimen from that country in the 
Berlin Museum !*: the late Don Vicente Constancia, of Antigua Guatemala, had two 
specimens, one of which passed into our possession®; another, which was in the 
“# According to v. Frantzius (J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 314) the bird called by Lawrence with doubt Wyctibius 
jamaicensis from 8, José de Costa Rica (Ann. Lyc. N. Y. ix. p. 120) was a young Pharomacrus mocinno. 
