178 CORACL*. 



158. CHiETURA CAUDACUTA. 

 (NEEDLE-TAILED SWIFT.) 



Uirundo caudacuta, Latham, Index Orn. Suppl. p. Ivii (1801). 



The Needle-tailed Swift is a large bird (wing from carpal joint 

 8 inches or more). Japanese examples have less white on the fore- 

 head than is usual in birds from Siberia, and approach the resident 

 Nepalese species_, Chatura nudipes, which has no white on the fore- 

 head or lores. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, iv. pi. 270 ; Gould, Birds of 

 Australia, ii. pi. 10. 



The Needle-tailed Swift is a common summer visitor to all the 

 Japanese Islands. There are several examples in the Swinhoe col- 

 lection from Ilakodadi (Swinhoc, Ibis, 1875, p. 418), and there are 

 four examples in the Pryer collection from Yokohama. 



The Needle-tailed Swift is an accidental visitor to the British 

 Islands, its breeding-range extending westwards from Japan across 

 Northern China to South-eastern Siberia. It winters in Australia. 



159. CAPRIMULGUS JOTAKA. 

 (JAPANESE GOATSUCKER.) 



Caprimulgus jotaka, Teniminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, p. 37 

 (1847). 



The Japanese Goatsucker differs from its British representative in 

 several points, of which perhaps the most important are the spots 

 on the tail-feathers of the male. In the British species the white 

 spots are terminal, but they only occur on the two outer feathers 

 on each side, leaving six central feathers without them. In the 

 Japanese species the white spots are subtermiiial, but they occur 

 on the four outer feathers on each side, leaving only two central 

 feathers without them. In tlie plains of India and in Ceylon a paler 

 and smaller form of the Japanese Goatsucker occurs, C. indicus, 

 which may possibly be specifically distinct from it, tiie length of 

 wing varying from 7 to 70 inches instead of from 8'2 to 8'8 inches. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. 12 

 (male), pi. 13 (female). 



The Japanese Goatsucker is only entitled to its name on the 

 ground that it was originally described from Japan. It occurs in 



