404 NoRTTI AMKRICAN BIRDS. 



Willi all tlioso variations tlie t*j^'«,'.s are readily recognizable, and bear no re- 

 senil)liiiUH' to any otiiers except those ol" te.icn.sis and hctiri/i. From the 

 former thev are easily distinijuished by the greater size, but from tiie latter 

 they can only i>e separated by cuusideratious of locality. 



Chordeiles popetue. var. henryi, cassin. 



WESTEBN NIOHT-HAWK. 



Chonfeih'^ hcnri/i, C'assin, lllii>t. liinls of C'hI. & Tex. I, 1855, 233. — Baird, Birds X. Am. 

 1858, 153, pi. xvii. -Sclateii, P. Z. S. 18G6, 133. — Coopeu, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 343. 



Sp. Char. Similar to \ jir. pnpeine, Itiit the male considerably lighter, with a prreater 

 predominance of the liirht mottliiipr^, prorhicin? a more grayish aspect; tlie female more 

 rufous. Wiujr-pateh of the male larger (at least an inch long), and, like the tail-patch, 

 crossing the \vhoU» breadth of the feather. 



Hah. Western Provinci" of N'orth America, except Pacific Coast region. Matamoras 

 to San Antonio, Te.Kiv* (Uue;;skk, Ibis, 1805,471); Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 1866, 

 58). 



Tn exaniininj,' a larsje series of \iglit-Hawks, we find the differences in- 

 lieated above, in si)ecimens from the Black Hills, Kocky Mountains, and the 

 av'ir'cenc rej^ions, to be t^nite decided and constant. Skins, however, from 

 Washington, Ore^njn, and California, seem darker even than the typical 

 eastern. There is no prominent dilference beyond the lighter colors of male, 

 and greater distinctness, extent, and purity of the white or light markings, 

 and in the white patches of wing and tail, crossing the outer webs of all the 

 feathers; the ^^eneral proportions and pattern of coloration being quite the 

 same. It will therefore seem j)roper to consider C. henrfji as a local race, 

 characteristic of the region in which it occurs, and as such noteworthy, 

 but not entitled to independent rank. 



AnotJH'r race, C. minor, Cab., similar to var. popetiie, but considerably 

 smaller (7. '»n, wing, T.Ot)), is resident in Cuba and Jamaica. C. popetue is 

 also said to breed in the latter island, but minor is probably referred to. 



Habits. This form, whether we regard it as a good species, or only a 

 western race of the common Xight-Hawk, was first described as a new va- 

 riety by Mr. Cassin, in 1X5;"), from specimens procured at Fort Webster, 

 New Mexico, bv Dr. Henrv, in honor of whom it was named. Its claim to 

 l)e considered a distinct race or species rests chiefly upon its constantly dif 

 ferent colorations. 



Dr. Cooi)er, who regard^nl this form not specifically distinct from the Night- 

 Hawk, states that it is not found near the coast border of California. 



Dr. Kennerly encountered it in abundance in the vicinity of Los Nogales, 

 in Sonora, in June. Kate in the afternoon they came in great numbers 

 around the camp. They kept circling round and round, and approached the 

 earth nearer and nearer with the declininti sun. 



