CAPRIMULaiD^ — THE GOATSUCKERS. 405 



Mr. Dre.sser t'imiul tliem very abundant at JIatanioras, and as far east as 

 the Sal Colorado, beyond which he did not meet with any. About dusk 

 thousands of these birds might be seen flying in towards the river from the 

 prairies. At San Antonio, where Mr. Dresser found both C. popetuc and 6'. 

 texeiisis, he never procured a single specimen of this bird, nor did Dr. Heer- 

 mann ever meet with one there. 



Dr. Coues says these birds are abundant tlirougliout the Territory of 

 Arizona. At Fort Whipple it is a summer resident, arrivint; in ^Vin-il 

 and remaining until October, being particularly numerous in August aTid 

 September. Mr. Drexler made a large collection of these birds at Fort 

 Bridger, in Utah, all of which showed sucli constant differences from east- 

 ern specimens as to indicate in his (ii)iuion the propriety of a specific 

 separation. 



An egg of this liird taken at Fort L'rook, California, by Lieutenant Fulner, 

 measures 1.25 inches in length by .92 of an inch in breadth. While resem- 

 bling in general effect an egg of C. popetuc, it is lighter in colorings, and 

 varies from any of that bird I have ever seen. Its ground-color is that of 

 clay, over wliich are diffused curious aggregations of small spots and cloud- 

 ings of yellowish-brown, mingled with lilac. These markings are (piite 

 small and separate, but are grouped in such close proximity into several 

 collections as to give them the appearance of large blotches ; and the blend- 

 ing of these two shades is so general as to produce the effect of a color 

 quite different from either, except upon a close inspection, or an examina- 

 tion through a magnifying glass. 



This variety was met with at the Forks of the Saskatchewan, in June, 

 1858, by Captain Blakiston, and specimens were obtained on the Sa.skatche- 

 wau Plains, by M. Bourgeau, in the summer of the same year. The latter 

 also procured its eggs. These are said to have been three in number, de- 

 scribed as light olive, blotched with black more thickly at one end than 

 the other. No mention of shape is made. This description, incomplete as 

 it is, indicates a great dissimilarity with eggs of this bird, fully identified in 

 the Smithsonian collection. 



The western variety was met with by Mr. Itidgway throughout the entire 

 extent of his route across the Great Basin. It bred everywhere, laying its 

 eggs on the bare ground, beneath a sage-bush, usually on the foot-hills of 

 the mountains, or on the mesas. In August and September they congregate 

 in immense flocks, appearing in the evening. Not the slightest difference 

 in habits, manners, or notes, was observed between this and the eastern 

 Night-Hawk. 



