CAI'KIMULGUS. 187 



Length about 9-5 ; tail 4*5 ; wing 6 ; tarsus, unfeathered except 

 on the uppermost part, '8. 



Distribution. From Sind and the Punjab throughout India and 

 Ceylon, and in Burma as far south as the neighbourhood of 

 Moulmeiu, but not in the higher hills nor in large forests. The 

 commonest Indian species. 



Habits, ^-0. This is a bird of the plains and of open and 

 cultivated country, of groves, and gardens and low jungle. It 

 is commonly found near habitations. The call, constantly heard 

 at night, has been aptly compared to the sound made by skimming 

 a stone over ice, the note being repeated slowly at first, then much 

 more quickly. There is also, as usual, a chuckling note, uttered by 

 the bird on the wing. The eggs, two in number, pinkish stone to 

 deep salmon-pink in colour, with faint purplish blotches and 

 brownish spots, are laid at various times from April to July in 

 Northern India, but earlier in Southern India and Ceylon, and in 

 Khandesh in July, August, and September. They measure about 

 1-04 by -77. 



1092, Caprimulgus europaeus. The European Nhjhtjar. 



Caprimulgus europaeus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 346 (1766) ; Blanf. 



East. Pers. ii, p. 127 ; id. Ibis, 1877, p. 250 ; Scully, J. A. S. B. 



Ivi, pt. 2, p. 79. 

 Caprimulgus unwini, Hmne, Ibis, 1871, p. 406 ; id. S. F. iii, p. 407 ; 



iv, p. 501 ; id. Cat. no. Ill his ; Cock Sf Marsh. S. F. i, p. 350; 



Butler, S. F. vii, p. 175 ; Doic/, S. F. viii, p. 372 ; Barnes, S. F. 



ix, pp. 215, 453 ; Bidduljjh, Ib'is, 1881, p. 48 ; 1882, p. 270 ; Scully, 



Ibis, 1881, p. 428 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 90 ; St. John, Ibis, 



1889, p. 156 ; Oates in Humes N. ^- E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 47 ; Hartert 



(0. europsei subsj).). Cat. B. M. xvi, p. 528. 



Coloration. Male. Upper surface greyish brown, paler and 

 greyer in Eastern specimens ; long black spots in the middle of the 

 crown and shaft-stripes on the back and rump ; some elongate 

 black spots with buff or whitish borders on the scapulars and 

 buffy-white patches on the wing-coverts : a few buff streaks on 

 the sides of the neck ; first three quills each with a large rounded 

 white spot beyond the middle ; tail-feathers with ill-marked 

 blackish cross-bars, the two outer pairs with white ends ; a large 

 white patch on the throat ; chin, throat, and breast greyish brown 

 mottled ; lower breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts buff with 

 dark bars, which become more distant posteriorly and sometimes 

 disappear on the under tail-coverts. 



The female wants the white spots on the outer rectrices, and 

 those on the quills are buff or wanting. 



Bill and irides black ; legs reddish brown. 



Length about 10 ; tail 5 ; wdng 7 ; tarsus, about three-fourths 

 feathered in front, '7. 



Distribution. A migi'atory bird, passing the summer and breeding 

 in temperate parts of Europe and Asia, and wintering in Africa 

 and South-western Asia. In winter this Nightjar visits the 

 Punjab, Sind, and occasionally part of the N.W. Provinces, there 



