AYES. 537 



falcons 1 . They form in some respects the transition to the nocturnal birds 

 of prey (to the genus Strix L.), and feed upon beetles and moths. 



* With tail long, even or rounded. 



Sp. Caprimulgus europceus L., BUFF. PI. enl. 193, LESS. Ornith. PL 33, 

 fig. 2, NAUM. Taf. 148; the European goat-sucker, night-jar, I'engoulevent, 

 die Nachtschwalbe, der Ziegenmelker ; the colours of the loose feathers pre- 

 sent in this and in the other species of this genus a mixture of black, brown, 

 yellow and white streaks and spots ; this native species lays two dirty- white 

 eggs with grey-brown spots on the ground, making no nest. Caprimulgus 

 ruficollis TEMM., SUSEMIHL, vi. Taf. 3 ; South of Europe, Africa. 



Note. Add sub-genera Eurostopodus GOULD and Lyncornis ejusd. 



** Tail long, very broad, rounded or even. (Wings with second and 

 third quills longest of all. Sub-genus Anthrostomus GOULD.) 



Sp. Caprimulgus cayanensis GM., BUFF. PL enl. 760 ; Caprimulgus guianensis 

 GM., BUFF. PL enl. 733 ; from South America ; Caprimulgus carolinensis 

 BKISS., WILS. Am. Orn. n. PI. 54, fig. 2; from North America. 



*** Tail long, graduated, with two middle feathers very long. (Scortornis 

 SWAINS, or Scotomis ?) 



Comp. on this group CASSIN Monograph of the Birds composing the 

 genera Hydropsalis WAGLEB and Anthrostomus N ATT ALL; Journal of the 

 Acad. of Nat. Sciences of Philad., Second Ser.il. 1850, 1854, pp. 113124, 

 PLxm. 



Sp. Caprimulgus climacurus VIEILL. Gal. PI. 122; Senegal, coast of Guinea. 



**** Tail forked, with outermost feathers often very long. (Psalurus 

 SWAINS., Hydropsalis WAGL.) 



Sp. Caprimulgus psalurus TEMM., Capr. furcifer GBAT, not VIEILL., TEMM. 

 PI. col. 157, 158; Brasil. 



Chordeiles SWAINS. Bill very smalL Wings longer than tail, 

 acute, with first two quills longest of alL Tarsi short. Tail long, 

 forked or emarginate, more rarely subeven. 



Sp. Caprimulgus americanus L., Caprimulgus acutus GM., BUFF. PI. enl. 

 722; Caprimulgus virginianus BRISS., Caprimulgus americanus WILS. 

 Am. Ornith. PI. 40, &c. All the species are from the Western hemisphere. 



Eleothreptus GRAY, Amblypterus GOULD. Wings with first quill 

 somewhat short, second and following up to the sixth nearly equal, 

 falcate, seventh and eighth longest of all. Tail short, even. 



1 Caprimulgus genere differt ab Hirundine, uti Strix a Falcone, Phalcena a Papi 

 Hone. Syst. not. ed. XH. Tom. I. p. 346. 



