CAPRIMULGID^ 



CAPKIMULGUS 



39 



it extends to the Cunene river (Andersson), in northern Damara- 

 land and westwards to Eustenburg (Ayres), in the Transvaal, 

 ?here it is stated to be fairly common. Although mentioned by 

 [artlaub ("Ibis," 1862, p. 143) as occurring close to Cape Town, I 

 think this must be a mistake, as Mr. Layard who sent the birds to 

 Dr. Hartlaub to examine does not mention it as occurring near 

 Cape Town in his work, nor is there a specimen in the South 

 African Museum. Beyond our limits this bird is said to be found 

 in Abyssinia, though hitherto not recorded from intermediate 

 countries. 



Habits. Mr. Ayres states: "This is the only kind of Nightjar 

 which I met with about Eustenburg ; they frequent the edges of 

 bushy hill-sides, getting well under shelter during the day and coming 

 out to feed in the open in the evening. They are generally solitary, 

 and I never found more than two together." 



397. Caprimulgus fossil. Mozambique Nightjar. 



Caprimulgus fossii, Hartl. Orn. W. Afr. p. 23 (1857) ; Finsch & 

 Hartl Vog. Ost-Afrikas, p. 123, pi. i (1870) ; Holub & Pelzeln, 

 Orn. Siid-Afrikas, p. 53 (1882) ; Hartert, Cat. B. M. xvi, p. 551 

 (1892) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 107 (1896) ; Hartert, Tierreich, Podarg. 

 p. 45 (1897) ; Woodward Bros. Natal B. p. 86 (1899) ; Alexander, 

 Ibis, 1900, p. 93 [Zambesi River]; Marshall, Ibis, 1900, p. 254 

 [Salisbury]. 



Caprimulgus mossambicus, Peters, Journ. Ornith. 1868, p. 134 ; 

 Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 88, 803 (1875-84); Oates, 

 Matabeleland, p. 300 (1881) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 250 [Umfuli B.] ; 

 Symonds, Ibis, 1887, p. 327 [Kroonstad]. 



Desertion. Male. General colour above, ashy-grey mottled 

 with bold black stripes and a little pale rufous, a more or less 

 distinct pale rufous collar round the hind neck ; lesser wing-coverts 

 and secondaries with white tips; primary quills dark brown with 

 well-marked white spots on both webs, except in the case of the 

 first ; tail irregularly barred with black and tinged on the edge with 

 pale rufous, the outer web and tip of the outer feather white ; below 

 pale ochre, the throat, breast, and flanks narrowly barred with 

 blackish ; a conspicuous white spot on either side of the throat ; 

 under wing-coverts orange-buff. 



Iris dark brown ; bill pale ; culm en and tip dusky ; legs and 

 feet dusky-brown. 



