PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 



HELD AT PHILADELPHIA 



FOR PROMOTING USEFUL KNOWLEDGE 



Vol. XLIV. August-December, 1905. No. 181. 



A STUDY OF THE ANATOMY OF PHAL.ENOPTILUS, 

 RIDGWAY. 1 



BY MARGARET E. MARSHALL. 



(Plates IV, V and VI.) 



( Received June ig, igoj. ) 



Introduction. 



The present paper is a contribution to the knowledge of Phaltz- 

 noptilus nuttalli nil 'idles (Brewster), the Poorwill, and presents an 

 account of the alimentary, respiratory and urogenital organs, the 

 central nervous system and all the muscles of the anterior extremity 

 and those of the thigh. 



As generally defined now the Caprimulgi include the three 

 families of Steatornithidse, Podargidse and Caprimulgidas. In re- 

 gard to their distribution Fiirbringer (1888) says that the Capri - 

 mulgidae represent the largest family (some 100 species) and with 

 almost cosmopolitan distribution (exclusive of New Zealand, the 

 pacific subregion and the southern part of South America) ; the 

 Steatornithid?e, represented by a single species, occur in caves in 

 the tropical Andean region and the West Indies ; the Podargidse 

 consisting of about 20 species inhabit the oriental region, particu- 

 larly New Holland and Papuasia. Of the Caprimulgidge the fol- 

 lowing genera occur in North America : Antrostomus, Phalcenop- 



1 Contributions from the Zoological Laboratory of the University of Texas, 

 No. 68. 



PROC. AMER. PHILOS. SOC. XLIV. l8l G. PRINTED OCTOBER 28, I905. 



