CAPRIMULGHXE CAPRIMULGUS 37 



^o *JA .<-ft-ri+v0 

 395. Caprimulgus pectoralis. South African Nightjar. 



L'Engoulevent a collier, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. i, pi, 49, p. 186 (1799). 

 Caprimulgus pectoralis, Cuvier, Eegne Anirn. i, p. 376 (1817) ; Sharpe, 



ed. Layard' s B. S. Afr. p. 84 (1875) ; Hartert, Cat. B. M. xvi, p. 



534 (1892) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1897, p. 496 (Ulundi) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, 



p. 106 (1896) ; Hartert, Tierreich, Podarcj. p. 59 (1897) ; Woodward 



Bros. Natal B. p. 85 (1899). 

 Caprimulgus atrovarius, Sundev. Ofvers. K. Vet. Akad. Forh. 1851, 



p. 128; Grill, K. Vet. Akad. Handl. ii, no. 10, p. 41 (1858) [Knysna]; 



Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 48 (1867). 



Description. Male. As large as C. europaus, but very much 

 darker in colour than either that species or C. rufigena ; upper 

 surface black vermiculated with grey ; a narrow pale rufous collar 

 round the neck, not nearly so marked as in C. fervidus ; white spots 

 are present on the four outer primaries, the outer one with the spot 

 only on the inner web, the inner three with spots on both webs ; 

 the tail very dark with well-developed white tips more than IJin. in 

 length to the two outer rectrices on either side ; the white spot on 

 the throat is large and well marked, and not divided as a rule. 



Iris dark brown. 



Length about 10-25 ; wing 6-1 ; tail 4-8; culmen 0-4; tarsus 0-8, 

 feathered only on the upper third. 



The female resembles the male, but the white wing-spots and 

 the tail-tips are a good deal smaller, the latter measuring less than 

 1-5. 



Distribution. This bird was first obtained by Levaillant in 

 Houtniqua (i.e., the Knysna district), and seems to be confined 

 to the southern and wooded districts of the Colony, and to Natal 

 and Zululand. 



Kecorded localities are Cape Colony Cape div. (Victorin and 

 Layard), Caledon (Layard), Ge.orge (Atmore), Knysna (Levaill. 

 and Victorin), Port Elizabeth (Bickard), Stockenstroom (Atmore) 

 and King Williams Town (Brit. Mus.) ; Natal Maritzburg (Fitzsim- 

 mons and Woodward), Ulundi in Zululand (Woodward). 



Habits. This Nightjar does not differ appreciably from others 

 in its habits ; it is not uncommon in the suburbs of Cape Town, 

 where it frequents gardens and orchards, flying at twilight, and 

 making its presence known by its " churring " note. It lays two 

 eggs in a slight depression under the shelter generally of a bush 

 or rock ; these are greyish- cream, freckled and blotched with purple, 



