THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 167 



and somewhat glossy. Their nests are usually placed on a stout 

 branch, and consist of a few fine twigs formed into a circle to 

 prevent the eggs rolling off. 



Spotted Nightjar, Eurostopodus guttatus, Vig. and Hors. — 

 Whilst in the spinifex country or near rocks these birds 

 frequently visited our camp at night, being attracted by the 

 numerous insects which were flying towards the fire. Whilst in 

 pursuit of their prey they frequently alight on the ground, but so 

 far as I am aware never perch on a tree. Their soft feathers are 

 much appreciated by other birds for nest lining, and it is surpris- 

 ing how many are used by the Maluri and Acanthizae for that 

 purpose. The Spotted Nightjar passes the day in rocky or stony 

 country, and always on the ground. Messrs. Cowle and Field 

 have forwarded samples of their eggs, which are a pale yellowish 

 green with a few blackish-brown spots sparingly scattered over 

 the whole of the shell. The bird makes no nest, but deposits its 

 single egg on the bare ground. 



Owlet Nightjar, .Egotheles Novce-Hollandice, Vig. and Hors. — 

 The question has been asked, How many species of this genus 

 exist in Australia ? and whether sEgotheles leucogaster is entitled 

 to be considered a separate species. I think not, and for the 

 following reasons : — It is now over thirty years since I obtained 

 my first specimen within five miles of Melbourne, and since then 

 many skins have passed through my hands, from a careful ex- 

 amination of which I have arrived at the above conclusion. A 

 specimen shot at Oakleigh by Mr. W. P. Henderson was a 

 beautiful steel-grey, with a perfectly white breast. Another 

 killed at Heidelberg was inclined to brown on the upper parts, 

 and the white had almost disappeared from the breast. Those ob- 

 tained on the Horn Scientific Expedition in Central Australia were 

 almost rufous brown above, and pale brown or dirty white beneath. 

 Sex does not appear to have any influence on colour with these 

 birds. The Owlet Nightjar is certainly one of the most useful of 

 our nocturnal birds, and if they were as numerous as they are 

 widely dispersed, it would be greatly to the advantage of our 

 fruit-growers. Some time ago my attention was called to a pair 

 of these birds which had been noticed for several nights darting 

 and fluttering amongst the pear and apple trees in an orchard in 

 one of our suburbs. An examination of the trees revealed the 

 presence of Codlin Moths. As the food of the Nightjar consists of 

 nocturnal coleoptera and lepidoptera, there is no doubt they were 

 engaged in a good work. The Owlet Nightjar passes the day in 

 the hollow limb of any convenient tree, and at breeding time 

 deposits three or four white eggs on the rubbish at the bottom of 

 the spout. The shells of the eggs are very hard, and when two 

 or three are rolled together they make a ringing noise as though 

 constructed of china. 



