Vol. 32, pp. 235-238 December 31, 1919 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



DESCRIPTION OF A WHIPPOORWILL FROM PORTO 



RICO. 



BY ALEXANDER WETMORE. 



Recently while identifying a collection of bird bones, secured 

 with remains of other vertebrates in Porto Rican caves by H. E. 

 Anthony of the American Museum of Natural History, the 

 writer found several humeri of a whippoorwill that represented 

 an undescribed species. A number of years ago C. B. Cory 1 

 recorded a whippoorwill received from Porto Rico as Antros- 

 tomus vociferus. No others are known to have been taken since, 

 and this specimen has remained as the only actual evidence of 

 the occurrence of the American whippoorwill in the West Indies. 

 On finding the bones mentioned above it seemed probable that 

 this specimen might be a representative of the undescribed 

 species. Through the courtesy of Mr. Cory the skin in question 

 (in the collection of the Field Museum of Natural History) was 

 forwarded to Washington for study, and on examination was 

 found to be the same as the bird discovered previously in the 

 cave material. It may be known as 



Setochalcis noctitherus, species novus. 



Characters. — Similar to female of Setochalcis vociferus vociferus (Wilson) 

 but wing shorter; crown, hind-neck, back and rump with paler markings 

 largely cinnamon-rufous (less evident on crown); upper tail-coverts and 

 dorsal surface of rectrices with lighter markings largely ochraceous-buff ; 

 throat and breast marked strongly with cinnamon-rufous; feathers of breast 

 more heavily tipped with black; abdomen and under tail-coverts colored 

 with light ochraceous-buff; breast marked with prominent spots of cart- 

 ridge buff; light bars on under surface of rectrices indistinct; pale tips on 

 three outer rectrices greatly restricted especially on the inner web. 



lAuk, 1889, p. 276. 

 47— Peoc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 32, 1919. (235) 



