44 CAPBIMULGID^ COSMETORNIS 



land to Zululand. North of the Zambesi it is spread all over 

 central Africa to Fernando Po on the west and to Uganda and 

 German east Africa on the east. The original type of the species 

 is said to have come from Madagascar, but as the bird has not since 

 been found there, this appears to have been a mistake. 



The following are recorded localities: Natal — Escourt (Durban 

 Mus.) ; Zululand — St. Lucia Lake (Woodward) ; Ehodesia — Hartley 

 and Salisbury districts (Ayres and Marshall), Victoria Falls (Oates) ; 

 Portuguese east Africa — Tete (Kirk) ; German, south-west Africa — 

 Elephant's Vlei (Andersson). 



Habits. — The Standard-wing Nightjar appears to be fairly 

 common in Mashonaland, being found in pairs or (perhaps after the 

 breeding season) in small flocks, in open spots near w^ater. Like 

 other Nightjars they are crepuscular in habits, resting during the 

 day on the ground. "Wben flushed they fly only a short distance, 

 and quickly settle again on the ground. Ayres states, however, 

 that the male, unlike the female, will sometimes perch lengthwise 

 on a branch, the long wing feathers hanging to one side. Some- 

 times they fly high, especially in calm evenings, but the males find 

 the long streamers on their wings somew^hat of an encumbrance. 

 Like other nightjars their food consists only of insects taken on 

 the wing. Oates found the stomach of one examined by him to 

 contain winged ants and a large beetle. In the evening, just at 

 dark and afterwards, the cock birds call frequently, uttering a 

 curious strident note much like the squeak of a mouse, " tswee, 

 tswee, tswee," often repeated. The male birds only assume their 

 long plumes in August for the breeding season, in September and 

 October they are already much abraded, and in December or 

 January they are shed. Two clutches of eggs were taken by 

 Ayres on September 28 and 30 ; they are laid as usual on the 

 bare ground, sometimes under trees, sometimes in more open 

 ground ; the colour of the eggs is differently described, probably 

 there is some variation in this respect. Some are light, ruddy- 

 brown with milky or ashy patches, others are described by Marshall 

 as pinkish-white with rusty-brown spots and blotches thicker at 

 the larger end. They vary also in size from 1*25 to 1*0 x '80 to -75. 

 When the eggs are dried the colours fade. 



