16 CAPRIMULGID^;. 



light he frequently had good opportunities for watching its movements. 

 Its flight is nearly as irregular and as noiseless as that of a butterfly, 

 while its beautiful tail is opened and shut in the same manner as with 

 the Scissor- tailed Flycatcher. Alighting frequently on the ground or 

 on stones or roots, it keeps up a continual but very soft clucking, 

 which is the only note uttered. It was most often seen in open grassy 

 or sandy spots in the woods, especially along the margins of the streams. 

 By day it sits close on the ground, and if disturbed only flies a few 

 yards, though it evidently sees well." Of its nesting-habits and eggs 

 Mr. Barrows did not obtain any information. 



The figure (Plate XII.) is taken from a specimen in Sclater's collection, 

 which was obtained at Gualeguaychu in Entrerios by Mr. Lee. 



247. HELEOTHREPTTJS ANOMALUS (Gould). 

 (SHORT-WINGED GOATSUCKER.) 



Amblypterus anomalus, Gould, Icon. Av. pi. 11. Heleothreptus ano- 

 malus, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 97 ; Durnford, Ibis, 1878, p. 62 (Buenos 

 Ayres) ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 12. 



Description. Greyish brown, irregularly dashed and spotted with black ; 

 long superciliaries and faint nuchal collar pale fawn-colour ; wing-coverts and 

 secondaries like the back, but with pale fawn-coloured spots ; primaries black, 

 with the basal portion reddish fawn-colour and tips white, the first six nearly 

 equal in length, and curved inwards ; tail fawn-colour, irregularly barred with 

 blackish, two centre feathers like the back : beneath, throat and breast blackish 

 brown, with slight fawn-coloured shaft-spots ; abdomen pale fawn-colour, with 

 irregular blackish cross bands ; tarsi long, naked : whole length 7'0 inches, 

 wing 5*2, tail 3*5. Female similar, but wings banded with rufous, and without 

 the white tips. 



Hob. South Brazil and Argentina. 



Mr. Durnford obtained a single female of this rare and anomalous 

 Caprimulgine form on the 31st of March, 1877, near Quilmes in the 

 province of Buenos Ayres. It was flushed from a clump of thistles, and 

 its stomach was full of insect-remains. 



