NESTS AXD EGGS OE AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 53; 



the yoiiiig as a helpless little creatme, which much resembled a small 

 mass of dowu, aud was reddish-brown in colom", not very (.lissimilaa- to 

 the sui-face of the ground where it had been hatched. 



The late Mr. S. White, lieedbeds, near Adelaide, in a communica- 

 tion to Gould, states : " I have several times found the female sittuig on 

 the ground on rock witli only a single egg under her; the one sent to 

 you was placed on a bare piece of stony giound, and the bird was sitting 

 so close that she allowed me to approach within a few feet of her 

 without moving." 



I have notliing to add, except that my specimens of eggs came from 

 Coomooboolaroo, where eggs have been found as early as August 

 (1896), but the usual breeding months are from September to 

 November. 



lu the British Museum Catalogue students will miss for the splendid 

 Spotted Nightjar the old familiar specific name yuttatus, wliich has 

 apparently been sunk in favour of the new name arijus, because 

 Mr. Ernest Hartert has discovered that Vigors and Horsfield's type 

 specimen was only the young of alhiyularis. Sui'cly there should be 

 a " Statute of Limitation " in ornithological matters as in other things, 

 and the old name, ijuttatm, which has stood well nigh a centui'y, might 

 have remained. Undoubtedly it proves clever research on the part of 

 Mr. Hartert to have discovered the error, but he could have pointed it 

 out and still liave adopted the old name (as Dr. Sharpo did when he 

 deteiTnined the two species of Au.stra.lian Crows). As long as 

 Australian ornithology lasts I am afraid (juttatu>> will have to stand for 

 this species. 



There is an egg of the Spotted Nightjar from the McDonnell 

 Ranges, Central Australia, in the collection of Mr. G. A. Keartland, 

 taken season 18'J4. That keen and enthusiastic field naturalist's notes 

 concerning this Nightjar, taken dming the Calvert Expechtion (1896) in 

 the North-west, will be read with interest. Mr. Keartland writes : — 

 " During the early part of oiu: journey the peculiar note of this bird 

 gave rise to a considerable amount of speculation as to its origin, but 

 at Mount Campbell I not only got the required information from the 

 natives, but also satisfied myself by shooting the bird whilst uttering it. 

 This note consists of a ' caw, caw, caw, gobble, gobble, gobble.' In the 

 whole of the desert these birds are seen soon after sunset skimming 

 over the tops of the spinifex in search of insects, but camp-fires possess 

 a strong attraction for them in the form of winged insects attracted by 

 the hght. Whilst on watch on the night of August 17th, I counted 

 ten birds flying round the burning spinifex at one time. Although 

 seen far into the desert at night, they prefer rocky country in which 

 to pass the day. On the hillside, near Mount Campbell, I disturbed 

 fourteen birds from about half-an-acre of ground, and subsequently 

 flushed several lots of five or six, but never saw one perch. They 

 appear to spend all their time on the wing or ground." 



