KUROSTOPUS. 



:',;?1 



Adult male — General colaiir nhoiy (Insky-grey, minute/i/ frecklinl tvitit black and niMij rafous; 

 forehead aiid crown of the headijfi'ii, irilh Jinehlaok verniiculalions on the sides, andlarye black streaks 

 dmon the centre; a line of interiuiuyled buff' and Hack feathers extends frmn the gapp annnid the 

 hind neck, forming a collar ; scaprdars pale (jrt'i/ irl//i fine black vermiculations and a limad black 

 bar, chiefly on the outer web of each feather, and which have narrow pale rufous margins; quills 

 blackish-hrown, spotted luith rusty-rufous, the third primary tvith a small, and the fourth primary with 

 a large spot of white on their outer webs; central pair of tail feathers dark brou>n, with irregular 

 barrings of grey, vermiculaied ivith black, remainder of the tail-feathers dark brown with bars of biifi 

 on their inner atid indistinct markings of grey ish-bufi' im thfir miler webs; throat blackish-brown, 

 soine of the feathers tipped with biiff] on each side a consijii'inms patch of white feathers; chest and 

 breast dark brotvn, with indistinct grey and very pale buff barrings; abdomen and under tail-coverts 

 didl rusty-riifous, barred with dark brown; bill blackish-brown; legs and feet reddish-brown ; iris 

 dark brown, nearly blark. Tulal h-nglli in. /hr fiesh 13 inches, wing 10, tail 6-5, exposed portion of 

 bill 0-25, tarsus OS. 



Adult fkmalk — 77tf! sexes are alike in plnniage, bat in some adult specimens examined the 

 white spots on the outer webs on the third and fonrt/i primaries are absent. 



Distribution— "i^iorthern Territory of South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria. 



/"I^HE White-throated Nightjar is widely distributed over theeastern portion of the Australian 



-L Continent ; it is rarer, however, in Southern Australia, and does not occur in Central 



Australia. In Queensland and 

 New South Wales it is not 

 uncommon in the coastal 

 brushes and open forest lands, 

 but is seldom seen except just 

 about dusk, when it ventures 

 forth to secure its food, as it 

 passes most of its time asleep 

 m some sheltered spot during 

 the day. During March, 1S93, 

 it was particularly numerous 

 around Sydney, and many 

 were observed hawkingaround 

 the fig-trees in the Domain. 

 It appeared at this time in 

 great numbers in the orchards on the Lane Cove River, and was the subject of various letters 

 contributed to the daily papers, several correspondents pointing out how useful it was in capturing 

 large moths and beetles. The mouth, when distended, is very capacious, enabling it to swallow 

 many insects entire. Its nocturnal habits have gained for it in many parts of Australia the 

 misleading local names of " Night Hawk " and " Moth Hawk." 



Stomachs of these birds examined contained the remains of more or less perfect moths 

 and night-flying beetles ; one shot at Narrabeen had a perfect specimen of the green beetle 

 (Scliizo gnat has prasinus) ; others were crammed with Bugong Moths (Agrotis spina), the caterpillar 

 of which is so destructive to grass. 



Dr. A. M. Morgan writes me from Adelaide :— " Euvostopus is a rare bird in this part of the 

 country. I have never seen a Hve bird, and have only seen a few feathers, which were sent me 

 for identification, but I could not tell to what species they belonged. I have never heard of the 

 egg of either E. albigularis or E. argiis being taken in South Australia proper." 



Mr. Edwin Ashby sent me a specimen for examination from the Northern Territory of 

 South Australia, in which the white spots on the outer webs of the third and fourth primaries 



WHITE-THROATED NIGHT.IAR. 



