564 



SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. —PICARLE— CORACLE. 



leuding to break up in chains of shaft-spots, and with lighter gray and brown marbling. 

 Scapulars and tertiaries boldly and beautifully marked with firm, even, sharp lines of white or 

 tawny-white — the arrow-headed edg>ings of angular black terminal fields. Wing-coverts 

 curiously mottled with black, white, and tawny — the white and tawny conspicuous as large 

 irregularly roundish spots. Five outer primaries with a large oblique white spot, on 1st at 

 about its middle, on others nearing their ends; these primaries othei'wise plain blackish, ex- 

 cept a little marbling at their ends — the whole eflect thus as in Chordeiles. Other primaries 

 and all secondaries blackish, fully scalloped and barred with tawny in increasing amount and 

 regularity from without inward. Four middle tail-feathers clouded with the same variegated 

 colors as other upper parts, but without definite white — the markings tending to wavy cross- 

 bars. Next two lateral feathers on each side with great white spaces on one or both webs at 

 end, 2-3 inches long, the rest of these feathers chiefly barred with black and tawny ; outer 

 feather chiefly black, but with marbling, and with white and tawny. Ear-coverts rich chestnut, 

 well contrasted with surroundings. Throat with a broad white collar, some of the white 

 feathers black-tipped. Under parts ochraceous or pale tawny, varied with whitish, and pretty 

 regularly barred crosswise with blackish-brown, thus somewhat as in Chordeiles. Length 

 13.00; extent 25.00; wing and tail, each, 7.50; tail graduated 1.00; tarsus 1.00 ; middle toe 

 and claw 1.25. Another Texas specimen (perhaps 9 > ^"t with even more white on tail, but 

 white on only 4 primaries) is much smaller: length about 10.50 ; wing (5.50 ; tail 6.00. The 

 species is said to be very variable in size and markings ; 9 to have the collar buflf. N. E. 

 Mexico into Texas, where common in the valley of the Lower Eio Grande. Eggs 2, laid on 

 the ground in woods or thickets; 1.25 X 0.92, creamy-bufl" or salmon-color, splashed and 

 spotted with pinkish, brown, and lilac; the markings generally profuse and evenly distributed, 

 but sometimes mainly confined to the larger end, or quite faint over the whole surface ; size 

 also varying about 0.25 in length. They are found in Texas from the middle of April through 

 June. (N. albicoUis of the 2d and 3d eds. of the Key, in the 4th ed. 1890, p. 902, distinguished 

 from the stock form of tropical America, after Sennett, Auk, Jan. 1888, p. 44; A. 0. U. 

 List, 2d ed. 1895, No. 419.) 



ANTRO'STOMUS. (Gr. avrpov, antron, a cave : arofxa, stoma, mouth ; alluding to the cav- 

 ernous mouth. Fig. 381.) American Night- jars. Nostrils oval, with a raised rim not 



prolonged as a tube, opening upward and 

 outward. Rictal bristles immense, with 

 or without lateral filaments, and other 

 bristly or bristle- bearded feathers about 

 bill. Tarsus not longer than middle toe 

 without claw, feathered in front nearly to 

 toes. Wing rounded, tipped by 2d and 

 3d quills, folding to beyond middle of tail, 

 which is rounded (not enough so in fig. 

 383) and much shorter than wing. Plu- 

 mage very lax, with minutely marbled 

 coloration, in some places as if dusted or 

 frosted over ; primaries weak, all mottled 

 with tawny, without great white spaces ; 

 under parts mottled, with little tendency 

 to regular crosswise barring ; markings of crown longitudinal. Size medium and rather large ; 

 sexes distinguishable ; eggs 2, heavily colored. Highly nocturnal. Containing those shadowy 

 birds, consorts of bats and Owls, — those scarce-embodied voices of the night, here, there, and 

 everywhere unseen, but shrilling on the ear with sorrow-stricken iteration. 



Fig. 381. —Head and foot of Whippoorwill, nat. size 

 nat. del. R. Ridgway. ) 



(Ad. 



