CAPRIMULGID.E — THE GOATSUCKERS. 417 



Antrostomus nuttalli, Cassin. 



NUTTALL'S WHIPPOORWILL ; POOR- WILL. 



Caprimulgus nuttalli, AuD. Birds Am. VII, 1843, pi. ccccxcv, Appendix. Antrostomus 

 nuttalli, Cassin, J. A. N. Sc. Phila. 2d series, II, 1852, 123. — Ib. 111. I, 1855, 237. 

 — Newberry, Zobl. Cal. and Oregon Route, 77 ; Rep. P. R. R. Surv. VI, iv. — 

 Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 149. — Cooper & Suckley, 166. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. 

 I, 1870, 341. 



Sp. Gear. Rictal bristles without any lateral filaments ; wing, about 5.50 ; the top of the 

 head hoary gray, with narrow and transverse, not longitudinal bands. Tail above, except 

 the central feathers, nearly black on the terminal half, the extreme tip only (in the outer 

 feather of each side) being white for nearly an inch, diminishing on the second and third. 

 Length, 8.00 ; wing, 5.50. Female without the white tip of tail. Audubon describes the 

 male as follows : " Bill, black ; iris, dark hazel ; feet, reddish-purple ; scales and claws, 

 darker ; general color of upper parts dark brownish-gray, lighter on the head and medial 

 tail-feathers, which extend half an inch beyond the others, all which are minutely streaked 

 and sprinkled with brownish-black and ash-gray. Quills and coverts dull cinnamon color, 

 spotted in bars with brownish-black ; tips of former mottled with light and dark brown ; 

 three lateral tail-feathers barred with dark brown and cinnamon, and tipped with white. 

 Throat brown, annulated with black ; a band of white across foreneck ; beneath the 

 latter black, mixed with bars of light yellowish-gray and black lines. Under tail-coverts 

 dull yellow. Length, 7.25 ; wing, 5.75 ; bill, edge, .19 ; second and third quills nearly 

 equal. Tail to end of upper feathers, 3.50 ; tarsus, .63 ; middle toe, .63 ; claw, .25 ; 

 strongly pectinated." 



Hab. High Central Plains to the Pacific coast. San Antonio, Texas (Dresser, Ibis, 

 1865, 471, breeds) ; W. Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 1866, 58) ; Guanajuata, Mex. (Salvin, 

 p. 1014). 



Nuttall's Whippoorwill is readily distinguished from the other North Ameri- 

 can species by the transverse, not longitudinal, lines on the top of head, the 

 narrow white tip of tail on both webs, and the inferior size, as well as by 

 numerous other points of difference. 



Habits. This species was first described by Mr. Audubon from a speci- 

 men obtained near the Eocky Mountains, but with no information in regard 

 to any peculiarities of habit. From Mr. Nuttall we learn that these birds 

 were first observed by him on the 10th of June, amidst the naked granite 

 hills of the sources of the Upper Platte Eiver, called Sweet- Water. It was 

 about twilight, and from the clefts of the rocks they were uttering at inter- 

 vals a low wailing cry, in the manner of the Whippoorwill, and sounding 

 like the cry of the young of that species, or j^e-cu. Afterwards, on the 7th 

 of August, when encamped on the higli ravine of the insulated mountains 

 so conspicuous from Lewis Eiver, called the Three Buttes, this bird was 

 again observed, as it flew from under a stone near the summit of the moun- 

 tain. It flew about hawking for insects near their elevated camp, for two 

 or three hours, but was now silent. On the 16th of June, near the banks 

 of the Sandy Eiver of the Colorado, Mr. Nuttall again heard its nocturnal 

 cry, which he says sounded like pevai. 



VOL. II. 53 



