20 Hon. N. C. Rothschild and Mr. A. F. R. WoHaston 



This little Swift was fairly common at Sliendi. So far as 

 we observed, it is quite a silent bird; iu other respects its 

 habits are very similar to those of the Common Swift. 

 Fifteen or twenty pairs were always to be seen flying about 

 one of the few big Dom-palms of the district. They were 

 constantly going into the crevices at the bases of tlie leaves, 

 and must undoubtedly have had nests there, but the nature 

 of the tree forbade any attempts at obtaining them. 



56. Caprimulgus eximius. (Plate I. figs. 3, 4.) 



Caprimulgus eximius Temm. ; Witherby, Ibis, 1901, p. 259. 



114 c?,272c^, 323 c?,446 S, 447 S> 426 c? jr., 322?, 

 371 ?, 411 ?, 443 ?, 444 ?, 449 S, 451 ?, 291 c?, 

 412 ?, 45lApulL 



There is not mucii variation among the adult birds. Some 

 arj of a lighter yellow, while others are more rufous, but the 

 differences are not great. The width of the white tips to the 

 lateral rcctrices in the males varies from 30 to 49 mm. ; the 

 length of the wing varies from about 174 to 185 mm. On 

 the interscapulum there is sometimes a small but well- 

 marked ])atch without any white marks. In the females, 

 which are of the same size as the males, the white patches on 

 the primaries are bordered with buff, which colour gradually 

 merges into the white; and the rectrices, instead of being 

 tipped Avith white, are tipped with buff*. The width of the 

 buff tip to the outermost rectrices varies from 20 to 25 mm. 



The young male (No. 426) has already moulted the 

 rectrices and primaries, but the crissum, abdomen, and rump 

 are still covered with the first fluffy feathers of the young. 



The pullus (March 27th) is covered with rufous-isabelline 

 down ; that on the abdomen is white. The tubular nostrils 

 are remarkably j)rominent. 



Our specimens of this most beautiful Nightjar were all 

 obtained within a few miles of Shendi. The ground which 

 they mostly seemed to prefer was of quite a distinctive nature ; 

 it was generally sloping and was intermediate iu character 

 between the grassy scrub and the open desert ; the soil was 

 not fine and earthy but coarse and gravelly, often with a 



