306 Mr. C. H. B. Graut on a Collection of 



and without seeing Sjostedt's type I am inclined to think 

 both his and ray birds are merely colour-phases of C. poHo- 

 cephalus. In his description he has compared his bird with 

 either a female or a young bird of C. poliocephahis. 



In looking up the literature of this Nightjar I happened 

 to come across the name and description of Riippell's 

 " tristigma,^'' and it appears to me that some readjustment 

 of names is necessary in the " ii'imaculatus" group of 

 Nightjars. 



There are five names to deal with as follows : — 



South Africa : Caprimulyus lentiginosus Smith, 111. Zool. 



S. Afr. 1845, pi. 101 : Great Namaqualand. Wing 



given as 7'6 inches. 

 West Africa : Scofoniis trimaculatus Swains. Birds W. 



Africa, vol. ii. 1837, p. 70 : West Africa. Wing given 



as 8 inches. 

 Caprimulgus sharpei Alex. Bull. B. O. C. vol. xii. 1901, 



p. 29 : Gambaga, Gold Coast Hinterland. Wing given 



as 7 inches. 

 East Africa : Capmmulgus tristiqma Biipp. Ncue Wirb. 



1840, p. 105 : Goudar, Abyssinia. Wing given as 



69 inches. 

 Caprimulgus goslingi Alex. Bull. B. O. C. vol. xix. 1907, 



p, 47 : Mt. Kaga Djirri, nr. Kemo River, French 



Congo. Wing given as 6*9 inches. 



The series of thirteen specimens (nine males and four 

 females) from south Africa now before me shows that some 

 individual variation occurs, and that specimens from both 

 west and east Africa can be perfectly matched with those 

 from the south. Therefore coloration cannot be taken into 

 account, nor the spots on the wings, which vary individu- 

 ally from three to four in all localities ; so the only 

 character left which could form a basis for separation into 

 races is that of the size, and this appears to work out 

 quite well. 



With the somewhat limited material before me the 



