50 Allen's naturallst's library. 



the earth, which becomes a Httle more evident as the period 

 of incubation progresses. 



Eggs.— Only two in number, of a pecuhar shape, being equally 

 rounded at either end, like those of Swifts, and still more like 

 those of Sand-Grouse. They are very light in colour, being 

 pure white, or creamy-white, with two kinds of markings or 

 spots. The underlying ones are of a violet-grey colour, and 

 always visible, while the distinctive spots are brown, either 

 light or dark, and distributed over the egg in different ways, 

 either as spots, or large blotches, or lines. Axis, i '2-1 -35 

 inch; diameter, o-85-o-95. 



II. THE ISABELLINE NIGHT-JAR. CAPRIMULGUS ^GYPTIUS. 



Caprimiilgiis cegyptius, Licht. Verz. Doubl, p. 59 (1823); 

 Dresser, B. Eur. iv. p. 629, pi. 272 (1877) ; Seebohm, Hist! 

 Br. B. n. p. 315 (1884); Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 260 

 (1889); Hartert, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 562 (1892). 

 Adult Male.— Very pale in colour, isabelline and sandy- buff, 

 with blackish markings pronounced on the head and again on 

 the scapulars, where they are larger ; quills deep brown, ex- 

 ternally spotted or banded with brownish-buff, the inner webs 

 notched with white for some distance, but not quite reaching 

 to the shaft; tail-feathers like the back, but banded with 

 black, the outer feathers becoming more uniform near the 

 tips ; under surface of body very pale, with two distinct spots 

 of white on the throat ; abdomen pale sandy-isabelline, with 

 narrow bars of blackish, which disappear on the lower abdomen, 

 but are again distinct on the under tail-coverts ; bill dark 

 brown ; feet reddish-brown ; iris black. Total length, 10-5 

 inches ; culmen, 0-55 ; wing, about 8; tail, 5-1 ; tarsus/o-8. 



Adult Female.— Similar to the male. Total length, io-6 

 inches ; wing, 8-5. 



Young. — Similar to the adults, but rather more rufous. 



Characters. — Distinguished from C. eiiropcrus by its paler 

 coloration, and by the pattern on the inner web of the primary 

 quills, these being indented with while. 



Range in Great Britain. — An accidental visitor, having occurred 



