83 
ORDER PICARLA. 
Fam. CAPRIMULGIDZ. 
78. CAPRIMULGUS EUROPXUS. European Nightjar. 
Caprimulgus smithii, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 47. 
Caprimulgus infuscatus, Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 242, et 1868, p. 15]. 
Sir A. Smith was the first to figure the common Nightjar as a South 
African bird, but Prince Bonaparte considered it to be a different 
species, an opinion in which, until lately, we ourselves were disposed 
to endorse. We have, however, lately seen undoubted specimens of 
C. ewropeeus from the Cape Colony, and several are to be found in 
the national collection. According to Prof. Malmgren in the ‘ Ibis,’ 
for 1869, (p. 69) a typical European Goatsucker was procured at Port 
Natal on the 2nd of February, 1840: Mr. Ayres has also met with 
it there, and Captain Shelley during a recent visit to that colony 
“frequently met with it at Durban and Pinetown.” Mr. Atmore 
obtained an adult male in full plumage at Grahamstown, and we 
haye received it from Colesberg, Swellendam and other places in the 
Cape Colony, and have shot it ourselves in the neighbourhood of 
Cape Town. ‘The late Mr. Andersson also met with it at the Knysna, 
a specimen killed by him on the 12th of February, 1866, having the 
white-spotted tail-feathers just appearing. 
We have noticed that Goatsuckers are more abundant near Cape 
Town during the month of March, doubtless congregating together 
before their departure northwards. It is just possible that, like the 
European Bee-eater, the present species breeds during its sojourn in 
South Africa, as some eggs of whose parentage we are not quite 
| certain (though we know of no other South African species which 
could lay claim to them) probably belong to this bird. They are of 
a light cream colour, minutely freckled with purplish brown and 
grey. Axis, 12’’’; diam., 9’’’. 
As the Nightjars are all very similar in coloration, we purpose 
only to give such characters as may be of use in distinguishing the 
| different species found in South Africa. Thus the European Night- 
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