A3 2 Riley, Description of a Nciu Niglitliazvk. \q^^. 



Chordeiles virginianus vicinus, siibsp. nov. 



Type, No. 189689, U. S. National Museum, $ ad., Long Island, Bahamas, 

 July 16, 1903. Collected by J. H. Riley (Orig. No. 183). 



Similar to Chordeiles virginianus c/tapviani hut. smaller, with the cris- 

 sum and abdomen suffused with buff and the white patch on the primaries 

 smaller. 



Measurements of type; wing, 176.5; tail, 100.5 n"""- 



Female similar to the male but buff" of abdomen and crissum deeper; 

 white of throat less pure and more restricted ; and the white terminal bar 

 on the tail nearly if not quite obsolete. 



Distribution. — Nighthawks were either taken or seen on the following 

 islands by us : New Providence, Andros, Eleuthera, Watling's, and Long 

 Island. They have also been recorded from Great Bahama, Abaco, For- 

 tune Island, Acklin Island, and Great Inagua, and are probably found 

 during the breeding season throughout the Bahama group of islands. 



Remarks. — While in size the Bahaman Nighthawk is about 

 equal to C. ?'. minor, in color it more nearly resembles C. v. chap- 

 matii, but whereas the latter has the crissum and abdomen nearly 

 pure white barred with black in C. v. vicinus they are suffused 

 with buff. C. V. vicinus differs from C. v. minor of Cuba in lack- 

 ing the tawny mottling above and the ochraceous-buff below, the 

 latter color being represented in vicinus by the buff wash on the 

 abdomen and crissum. In fact, the Bahaman bird is intermediate 

 in color between the form found in Cuba and the one in Florida, 

 with a leaning towards the latter. 



Three males of C. v. chapmani from Florida average : wing, 

 186 ; tail, 100.5 mm. 



Four males of C. v. vicinus average : wing, 169 ; tail, 93.5 mm. 



Six males of C. v. tninor from Cuba and the Isle of Pines aver- 

 age : wing, 170; tail, 94.5 mm. 



Habits. — These birds would come out early in the evening and 

 hawk about for insects in the same manner as C. v. virginianus in 

 the North, but it seems to be more of a day flyer than that form, 

 as they could frequently be seen flying about in the heat of the 

 mid-day sun, in this respect reminding one of C. v. minor of Cuba. 

 The note resembles that of the latter bird also and it gets the 

 native name of pick-a-me-dick from its call given while flying. 

 They are said not to be permanent residents on the islands, but 

 to come from the south in the latter part of April. 



