186 [April, 



No one of six specimens, all of which I consider the JV. jamaieensis as 

 described by Mr. Gosse in his delightful and valuable volume on the l:irds of 

 Jamaica, p. 41, appears to have been so large as indicated by his measurements. 

 There is, however, no reliance whatever to be placed on the measurements of 

 skins, so far as relates to the total lengths, and those of other parts are also lia- 

 ble to error, both from the distortion of the skin in the course of preparation, 

 and from various modes of measuring by naturalists. 



The measurements given by the authors cited above, vary considerably, but 

 their descriptions are, 1 think, sufficiently similar. One specimen in the Rivoli 

 collection (labelled C. Gouldii) is certainly Mr. Gould's N. pectoralls, though it 

 is rather too large for his description, but not large enough for his figure in 

 Icones Avium; the wing, for instance, measuring about 10{ inches, instead of 9 J 

 as in the description, or lOj as in the figure. It appears to me to be the bird 

 described by Mr. Gosse, whom I consider the best authority for the species, and, 

 so far as I can see, quite justified in quoting N. pectoralis, Gould, as z synonyme. 

 Gosse's and Gmelin's descriptions are sufficiently similar, that of the latter is, 

 however, copied from Latham. 



To this bird in very nearly the same plumage as figured by Mr. Gould, the 

 observations by La Fresnaye on N. urutau seem to apply, which avowedly pro- 

 fesses to be the same as C. cormitus, Vieill. or the urutau of Azara. The des- 

 cription by Vieillot is copied from that of Azara, and corresponds remarkably 

 well with that in Walckenaer's French edition of Azara, iv. p. 112, (Paris 1809.) 



The description by Buffian of the Engouleveut gris. which is C. griseiis, Gm., 

 applies very well so far as it goes to the young bird of this species. There is a 

 specimen in the collection of the Academy not fully grown which is nearly white. 

 This description by Bufibn is the sole foundation for the Caprimulgus griseus 

 Gm., a name which has maintained a place in all systems and compilations to the 

 present time, no bird having ever been found to suit it, to my knowledge. 



18. Scotornis loiigicaudus. (Drapiez.) 



This is the African bird described by Vieillot as Caprimulgus cUmacurus and 

 figured in Gal. des Ois. pi. 122, 1825. It appears to have been first described 

 by Drapiez in Dictionnaire Classique D'Histoire Naturelle vi. p. 169, (Paris 

 1824, Octavo) next by Vieillot, in 1825, and in the same year (1825) again 

 named Caprimulgus longicaudis, by Stephens, Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 89 on the faith 

 of a description and figure by Latham in Gen. Hist. vii. p. 335 pi. 114. The 

 latter calls it " the long tailed Goatsucker." 



19. Genus Chordeiles. Swainson, Faun. Bor. Am. Birds p. 466. 



Obs. Of this genus I have seen the following species, the first three of which 

 have several synonymes : 



1. Chordeiles virginianus. (Briss.) Aud. B. of Am. pi. 147. 



2. Chordeiles brasilianus. ((jfrn.) 



3. Chordeiles acutus. (Gm.) Buff. Pi. Enl. 732. 



4. Chordeiles rupestris, (Spix.) Av. Bras. ii. pi. 2, 



5. Chordeiles tapiti. Bonap. Consp. Av. p. 63. 



There is also in the collection of this Academy a bird which I suppose to be 

 Chordeiles minutus, Bonap. Cons. Av. p. 63. It suits the short description but 



