174 BIEDS OF EGYPT. 



pointed; entire plumage sooty brown, with bronze reflections 

 on the upper surface ; under surface paler, especially on the 

 throat ; beak and feet black ; irides very dark brown. 



Entire length 6'5 inches; culmen 0'2; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 5 ; tail 4'1 ; tarsus 0-35. 



Fam. CAPRIMTJLaiD^. 



154. Caprimulgus EUROPiEUS, Linn. Goatsucker. 



This species is only met with as a bird of passage in Egypt 

 and Nubia. According to Von Heuglin (Orn. N. O. Afr. 

 p. 125) it passes southward through Egypt in August, and 

 returns again in March and April, at which seasons it may 

 generally be met with in small flocks. 



Male. — Upper parts rich ash-colour, shaded slightly with 

 chestnut on the wings and with yellow on the rump, and 

 beautifully pencilled with dusky ; the centre of the feathers 

 streaked with black, more boldly so on the crown and sca- 

 pulars ; quills dark brown, with imperfect sandy-coloured 

 bars ; a white patch on the three outer primaries near their 

 tips, and a bold white tip to the two outer feathers of the 

 tail ; on the under surface there are two white patches on the 

 sides of the throat ; throat itself and crop dusky ; remainder 

 of the underparts orange-buff", barred with dusky ; beak 

 black ; legs reddish brown ; irides black. 



Female. — No white spots on the wings or tail. 



Entire length 10 '5 inches; culmen 0"4 ; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 7*4 ; tarsus 0-7. 



Fig. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 51. 



