Birds of the Gold Coast Colony S^c. 357 



no specimens of this bird in the British Museum from Tunis. 

 That country is supposed to have a separate resident form^ 

 C. ruficollis desertorum (Erlang. J. f. O. 1899, p. 521). 



184. Caprimulgus sharpii Alexander. 



Caprimulgus sharpei Alexander, Bull. B. O. C. xii. p. 29 

 (November 1901). 



Two adult males from Gambaga. 



Similar to C trimaculatus, but smaller and darker; upper 

 parts less spotted, especially on the nape, and more uniform ; 

 under parts with the blackish bars on the chest running into 

 each other, M'hich causes this part to appear much darker than 

 in C. trimaculatus. The two species may be compared as 

 follows : — 



C. sharpii. 

 Ad. ^ . Gambaga, Feb. 22, 1901. Total length (measured 

 in the flesh) 9'3 inches, wing 7, tail 5*1, tarsus 0'06. Iris 

 black. Sexual organs in breeding condition. 



C. trimaculatus. 

 Ad. cJ • Rustenburg, South Africa. Total length 10"5 

 inches, wing 7*8, tail 5'8. 



C. trimaculatus is a South-African species, of which our 

 bird is the northern form. 



We met with only two specimens of this new Nightjar at 

 Gambaga, where it appears to be uncommon. It inhabits 

 tree-grown kopjes, and is extremely hard to discover, since its 

 plumage assimilates so well with the black slabs of rock, 

 which it never seems to leave. 



185. Macrodipteryx longipennis (Shaw). 

 Macrodipteryx macrodipterus Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 594; 



Reichen. J. f. O. 1897, p. 24 (Togoland) ; Sharpe, Bull. 

 B. O. C. X. p. vii (Gambaga). 



Gambaga and Salaga. 



This Nightjar is common at Gambaga, being found in 

 colonies in the open bush-land. On Dec. 28 a part of the 

 native village took fire. It was quite a sight to see these 

 Nightjars flitting to and fro near the burning houses, 



9 R 9 



t^ a ti/ 



