CAPRIMULGID^. 519 



Family CAPRI MULGIDiE. 



(By ERNST HARTERT.) 



The Goatsuckers have always ten primaries and ten rectrices. 

 Spinal feather-tract well defined on the neck, but forked on the 

 upper back. Feathers with a small but well-defined aftershaft. 

 No powder-down patches in the Caprimidfjince , but large patches in 

 the Niictihiina'. Number of phalanges reduced to four in outer toe, 

 and claw of middle toe peculiarly pectinated in the CaprlmulgincB. 

 The mouth is split very far, the gape very wide. The palate is 

 schizognathous. 



In their habits the Goatsuckers are crepuscular or nocturnal, and 

 they have the very soft plumage of almost all nocturnal birds. 

 Their food consists entirely of insects, which thej- generally catch on 

 the wing. Northern species wander to the south in autumn. The 

 species of this family are, as a rule, very variable in coloration ; 

 most of them have highly protective colours, and they often vary 

 according to the soil and surroundings of the localities which they 

 frequent. 



None of the species make a nest, the two eggs are deposited on 

 the ground. The eggs are coloured and mostly, though not always, 

 protectively. 



Toimg hatched helpless, but covered with down. 



liange. The family ranges over most parts of the world, except 

 the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and seems to be absent from the 

 Eastern Pacific Islands. It is most developed in tropical countries. 



Synopsis of the Subfamilies. 



A, Number of phalanges reduced to four in 



outer toe, claw of middle toe pectinated ; [p. 519. 



no powder-dowu patches I. CAPRIMULGIN^, 



B. Number of phalanges in outer toe normal, 



claw of middle toe not pectinated ; large 

 patches of powder-down on the sides of 

 the body and on the breast ; tarsus ex- 

 tremely short, much shorter than any of [p. 623. 

 the toes II. NYCTIBIIN^, 



Subfamily I. CAPRIMULGINiE. 



Key to the Genera. 



A. Rictus armed with strong bristles. 



a. No greatly elongated central or lateral 

 rectrices. 

 a . No greatly elongated wing-feather. 

 a" . Wing equally formed in both sexes, 

 quite normal. 



