406 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Chordeiles acutipennis, var. texensis, Lawrence. 



TEXAS NIGHT-HAWK. 



Chordeiles hrasilianus, Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lyceum, V, May, 1851, 114 (not of 

 Gmelin). — Cassin, 111. I, 1855, 238. Chordeiles sapiti, Bon. Conspectus Avium, L, 

 1849, 63. Chordeiles texensis, Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lye. VI, Dec. 1856, 167. — 

 Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 154, pi. xliv. — Ib. M. B. II, Birds, 7, pi. vi. — Cooper, 

 Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 345. Caprimulgus texensis, Warthausen, Cab. J. 1868, 376 (nest- 

 ing). 



Sp. Char. Much smaller than C virginianus, but somewhat similar. White on the 

 wino- extending over only four outer primaries, the bases of which, as well as the remain- 

 ing ones, with other quills, have round rufous spots on both webs. Under tail-coverts 

 and abdomen with a strong yellowish-rufous tinge. Female more rufous and without the 

 white spot of the tail. Length, 8.75 ; wing, 7.00. 



Hab. Basins of Rio Grande, Gila, and Colorado Rivers, and west to Gulf of California ; 

 South as far, at least, as Costa Rica. Localities : Mataraoras to San Antonio (Dresser, 

 Ibis, 1865, 471, breeds) ; W. Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 1866, 58) ; Costa Rica (Lawr. 

 An. N. Y. Lye. IX, 120) ; Yucatan (Lawr. N. Y. Lye. IX, 204). 



The markings of this species are quite different from those of Chordeiles 

 popetue. In average specimens the prevailing color above may be described 

 as a mixed gray, yellowish-rusty, black, and brown, in varied but very fine 

 mottlings. The top of the head is rather uniformly brown, with a few 

 mottlings of grayish-rusty, although the concealed portion of the feathers is 

 much varied. On the nape is a finely mottled collar of grayish and black, 

 not very conspicuously defined, and rather interrupted on the median line. 

 A similar collar is seen on the forepart of the breast. The middle of the 

 back and the rump exhibit a coarser mottling of the same without any 

 rufous. The scapulars and wing-coverts are beautifully variegated, much as 

 in some of the Waders, the pattern very irregular and scarcely capable of 

 definition. There are, however, a good many large round spots of pale 

 yellowish-rusty, very conspicuous among tlie other markings. There is 

 quite a large blotch of white on the wing, situated considerably nearer the 

 tip than the carpal joint. It only involves four primaries, and extends 

 across both outer and inner webs. The four first primaries anterior to the 

 white blotches, and the remaining ones nearly from their tips, exhibit a 

 series of large round rufous spots not seen in the other North American 

 species. The other wing-quills have also similar markings. There is a 

 large V-shaped wdiite mark on the throat, as in C. virginianus, though rather 

 larger proportionally. Posterior to this there are some rather conspicuous 

 blotches of rufous, behind which is the obscure finely mottled collar of gray 

 and brown already referred to. The breast and remaining under parts are 

 dull wdiite transversely banded with brown, with a strong tinge of yellowish- 

 rufous on the abdomen, about the vent, and on the under tail-coverts. The 

 tail is dark brown with about eight transverse bars of lighter ; the last are 



