CAPBIMULGID^—CAPRIMULGINJE: TRUE GOATSUCKERS. 449 



all our genera excepting Chordediles, the rictal bristles are an inch or more in length, in a firm 

 reguhir series along the gape — they are relatively longer and stiller than the whiskers of a cat. 

 Our several genera are readily discriminated by good characters of the nostrils, enormous rictal 

 bristles, and comparatively short wings of the Night-jars proper, in comparison with the slight 

 bristles, forked tail and long pointed wings of Chordediles; they respectively represent two 

 sections of the subfamily — Setirostres, bristled-billed (tig. 289), and Glabrirostres, smooth- 

 billed (Hg. 290). In both the feet are so extremely short that the birds cannot perch in the 

 usual way, but sit lengthwise on a large branch, or crouch on the ground. They lay two 

 lengthened, white or thickly spotted eggs, on or near the ground, in stumps, etc. The sexes 

 are distinguishable, but nearly alike. The voice is peculiar, and has given several of the 

 species their fanciful onomatopoetic names. Migratory. 



Obs. Since the orig. ed. of the Key was published, a fine genus and species, Nyctidromus 

 albicoUis, has been added to our Fauna. " Nuttall's Whippoorwill " has been made the type of 

 a new genus, Phaleenojitilus, on the ground of its naked feet, short square tail, and other good 

 characters. The common whippoorwill has been referred back to the old genus Caprimulgus. 

 While it certainly differs from the chuck-wilFs-widow, type of Antrostomus, in not having the 

 rictal bristles garnished with lateral filaments, and is not very obviously different from Capri- 

 mulgus of the Old World, it may be best to keep it with Antrostomus, where all the Ne>v 

 World species are usually referred, until the limits of the respective genera are better under- 

 stood. 



Analysis of Genera. 



A. Setirostres. Long rictal bristles. Plumage very lax. 



Tarsus extensively feathered. Nostrils not extensively tubular. 



Tail rounded, much shorter than wing. Primaries all mottled, without white spaces. Eggs 



colored. Large and medium-sized Antrostomus 128 



Tarsus naked, except on joint above. Nostrils extensively tubular. 



Tail square, much shorter than wing. Primaries all mottled, without white spaces. Eggs color- 

 less. Small (Western.) Phalcenoptilus 129 



Tail rounded, about as long as wing. Outer primaries mostly whole-colored, with great white 



spaces. Eggs colored. Very large (Southwestern.) Nyctidromus 127 



B. Glabrirostres. No long rictal bristles. Plumage more compact. 



Tarsus moderately feathered. Nostrils not extensively tubular. 



Tail forked, much shorter than the pointed wing. Outer primaries mostly whole-colored, with 

 great white spaces. Eggs colored. Medium-sized Chordediles 130 



NYCTI'DROMUS. (Or. ini$, gen. ^ — ..-^^.^ \ 



wKTos, mix, nuctos, night; Bpofios, ^r""*^ ^'"^^^ \ i j,p 



dromos, act of coursing. Fig. 291.) ^\\ :.// - -><-5i:^^<l_^ F // 



Night Coursers. Nostrils prolonged i^^^ C i>^!^^^^^^ r/J 



as cylindric tubes opening forward and ^ 



outward. Rictal bristles immense, V'^-""^ 



simple ; other bristle-tipped or bristle- * '^ 



bearded feathers about the bill. Tar- 

 sus lengthened, but not exceeding the 

 middle toe without claw, naked except 



just on the joint. Wing scarcely ^-^~c:s::^-<^ jO'/A 



rounded ; tipped by 2d, 3d, and 4th ^^^^^^^-^^^n^^N^. hA( 



quills, 1st longer than 5th, folding to 



about the middle of the tail, which is ■^/''^~ f^- 



rounded, and approximately of equal a 



length with the wing. Plumage not Fig. 291.— Head, foot, and pectinated claw of JVyc^trfromiM, 



so lax as in a whippoorwill; in this, as "**• "'^- <^'* "''*• '''^'- ^- ^''^g'^'^y > 



in the stiffish primaries with little marbling but great white spaces, and the under parts barred 

 crosswise, is seen an approach to Chordediles, between which genus and Phalcenoptilus Nycti- 



