CAPRIMULGID-E CAPRIMULGUS 35 



1876, p. 424 [LydenburgJ, 1880, p. 259 [Potchefstroom] ; Sliarpe, 

 Oates' Mataheleland, p. 300 (1881) ; Symonds, His, 1887, p. 327 

 [Kroonstad]; Hartert, Cat. B.M. xvi, p. 532 (1892) ; Shelley, B.Afr. 

 i, p. 106 (1896) ; Sowerby, Ibis, 1898, p. 570 (Ft. Chiquaqua) ; 

 Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 245. 

 Capriuiulgus damarensis, StricMand, Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 123. 



Description. Male. — General colour above, ashy-grey or brown, 

 mottled and streaked with black and pale rufous ; sides of the face 

 and ear-coverts a stronger rufous ; a narrow orange-buff collar 

 round the neck ; the four outer primaries (not three as in C. 

 curopcBiLs), with conspicuous white patches on the inner web in 

 all four, on the outer web only on the inner three ; tail as in G. 

 europceus, with the two outer feathers broadly tipped with white ; 

 one or two white patches on the throat. 



Iris dark hazel ; eyelids dull chrome-yellow ; bill black ; legs 

 and feet flesh-coloured ; tarsus only feathered in front for about 

 half its length. 



Length about 9-5 ; wing 6-25 to 6-5 ; tail 5-25 ; culmen 0-4 ; 

 tarsus 0-7. 



The female is without white on the tail, and the spots on the 

 wings are smaller and pale brick- coloured ; the bird is also slightly 

 smaller. 



In the young male, the white spot on the fourth primary is buff 

 and those on the first three are confined to the inner webs. The 

 tips of the outer tail-feathers are tinged with buff. 



Distribution. — This Nightjar, so far as is known, is confined to 

 South Africa, where it is resident. It was first described by Sir 

 A. Smith from the eastern portion of the Cape Colony, and it has 

 been observed in all the other colonies, except Natal. The following 

 are recorded localities: Cape Colony — Worcester (S.A.Mus.), Beau- 

 fort West, Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth (Layard) ; Orange 

 Eiver Colony — Kroonstad (Symonds) ; Transvaal — Lydenburg and 

 Potchefstroom (Ayres), Limpopo river (Eriksson), and Pretoria 

 (Pretoria Mus.) ; Bechuanaland — Bamangwato (Buckley), Kanye 

 (Exton) ; Ehodesia — Semokwe and Tati (Gates), Fort Chiquaqua 

 (Sowerby), and Salisbury (Marshall) ; German South-west Africa — 

 from Great Namaqualand to Ondonga in Ovampoland (Andersson). 



Habits. — The rufous-cheeked Nightjar closely resembles the 

 European species in its habits ; it is found singly or in pairs in 

 brushwood districts ; it seeks its food at dusk and rests during 

 the day either in brushwood or very frequently on the bare ground 



