FAMILY CAPRIMULGIDAE 21 5 



they were feeding on the abundant cicadas. In many years of fa- 

 miliarity with this bird, this has been the only occasion when I have 

 seen it other than on or near the ground. 



In its winter home the chuck-will's-widow is silent. 



CAPRIMULGUS RUFUS MINIMUS Griscom and Greenway: 

 Rufous Nightjar, Dormilon Moreno 



Caprimulgus rufus minimus Griscom and Greenway, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 

 vol. 81, May 1937, p. 424. (Panama City, Panama.) 



Slightly smaller, and somewhat brighter brown than the chuck- 

 will's-widow; differs also from that species in having smooth rictal 

 bristles, without lateral filaments. 



Description. — Length 245-265 mm. Male, similar in pattern of 

 markings to the chuck-will's-widow, but somewhat brighter brown; 

 distal end of outer rectrices darker buff, less white. 



Female, similar to that sex in the chuck-will's-widow, but brighter, 

 more rufous-brown ; tips of outer rectrices darker buff. 



Measurements. — Males (3 from Panama and Venezuela), wing 

 175-184 (179.3), tail 112.7-121.0 (117.8), tarsus 18.2-19.2 (18.7) 

 mm. 



Females (11 from Panama and Colombia), wing 170-179 (175.7), 

 tail 102.1-116.5 (110.8), tarsus 16.2-18.8 (17.4) mm. 



Resident. Found locally in forested areas in the Tropical Zone, 

 mainly on the Pacific slope. Chiriqui (south slope of the volcano) ; 

 Veraguas (Altos Cacao, Santa Fe) ; Panama (Panama City, Rio 

 Pacora, Chepo, Chiman, Rio Maje) ; Canal Zone (Albrook Field, 

 Curundu, calling) ; Darien (Garachine, Pucro, calling). Two records 

 on the Caribbean side: Bocas del Toro (Rio Changuena) ; San Bias 

 (Puerto Obaldia). 



This strictly nocturnal species, from somewhat scanty information, 

 seems to be fairly common only in a limited area on the Pacific slope 

 in the Canal Zone and the eastern Province of Panama. Records from 

 elsewhere are few and scattered. The race was named from a female 

 taken by W. W. Brown, Jr., near Panama City, on May 6, 1904, but 

 for a considerable period was little known. In 1949 I collected speci- 

 mens on the Rio Pacora and near Chepo, and the following year found 

 it fairly common above Chiman, and on the lower Rio Maje at 

 Charco del Toro. Frequently, in other years, I have heard it calling 

 at Albrook Field, and Curundu, in the Canal Zone. It was fairly 

 common also on Isla Coiba in January 1956. Aside from this, there 



