180 [April, 



7. Nyctidronms aviericanus, Linn. 



1. Caprimtdgus americanus, Linn. Syst. Nat., i. p. 340, (1766,) a name 

 givtn by Linnaeus on the faith of Capnmitlgas sea Noctna sylvatlra Jamaycen- 

 sis minor, described by Ray, Syn. Av. et Pis. Appendix, p. 180, (1713,) who 

 copies his description from the manuscripts of Sir Hans Sloane, which were 

 afterwards published in Nat. Hist. Jamaica ii. p. 296, (1725,) with a figure, 

 pi. 255. fig. 1. 



2. Caprimulgus albicollis, Gm. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 1030, (1788) a name given by 

 Gmelin on the faith of the White-throated Goatsucker of Latham, Gen. Syn. ii pt. 

 2 p. 596. 



3. Nyctidromus Derhyanus, Gould Icon. A v. part ii. p. pi. (August 1838.) 



4. These names are probably synonymes, and the original describers from 

 specimens are Sloane for C. americanus, Latham for C.albicollis and Gould for 

 N. Derbyanus, to which Azara may be added, (Del Ybiyau, Apunt. ii. p. 538, 

 1805.) 



The Caprimulgus americanus of Linnaeus appears to have been founded on the 

 faith principally of Ray's description, and on Sloane's description and figure. Lin- 

 naeus enumerates two species only of Caprimulgus ; the first of which (C euro- 

 ^,) he briefly characterizes as "C. narium tubis obsoletis," and the second 

 (C ameriean7cs,) as " C. narium tubulis eminentibus." He cites as synonymes 

 the description and figure of Sloane, and the description by Ray, as above, also 

 " Caprimulgus jamaicensis, Briss. Av. ii. p. 480," and " Hirundo major subfusca 

 miscella, macula alba sphoerica in utraque alba. Brown, Jam. p. 467." 



In Brown's Jamaica p. 467, (Civil and Natural History of Jamaica by Patrick 

 Brown, M. D. London 1756,) there is a short and entirely inconclusive description 

 the most important feature in which is, that the bird is " about the size of a 

 Sparrow Hawk, and of a darkish, mottled and striped colour." He gives as 

 synonymes " Catesby i. pi. 8 " and " The lesser Goatsucker of Edwards, pi. 63," 

 both of which are Caprimulgus vociferus, Wilson. 



Brisson in Orn. ii. p. 480, (1760) under the head of Caprimulgus Jamaicensis^ 

 copies Sloane's description above referred to, and gives several names as synonymes, 

 among them one from Brown different from that given by Linnaeus, that is to 

 say, " Strix capite levi, plumis griseo albidus labiorum pilosus. Brown, Hist, of 

 Jam. p. 473." Upon turning to this I find a bird described as " The screech 

 Owl," with the Latin phrase just quoted, which comprises the entire description. 



The synonymes then, to the point we have now attained are, for much the great- 

 er part, unsatisfactory, nor are Brown's descriptions of any account whatever, so 

 for as relates to actually determining the species. 



Gmelin in his edition of the Syst. Nat. of Linn. ii. p. 1032 (1788,) gives as 

 additional synonymes " Engoulevent a lunettes ou Haleur, Buff. hist. nat. des 

 ois, vi. p. 543," and "American Goatsucker, Lath. syn. ii. 2 p. 600, n. 14," 

 both of which are avowedly founded on Sloane's description and figure. 



Geo. R. Gray, in Genera of Birds gives thisas^a Chorddles, citing Sloane's fig- 

 ure. It is by no possibility a Chordeiles, in which there is no such character as 

 " along the upper mandible were several bristly hairs in line,'' as stated by 

 Sloane and represented in his plate. 



Gosse in Birds of Jamaica p. 51, thinks it may be his Nyctibius pallidns, which 



