406 NORTH AMKKICAN BIRDS. 



Chordeiles acutipennis, var. texensis, T.awrkntt:. 



TEXAS NIGHT-HAWK. 



I'hnnlrtliH hi'dsifiaints, L.wvKKNt K, Ami. X. Y. lAit'Uiii, V, May, l>*^r»l, 114 (not of 

 (Jmki.IX). — ('a.ssIN, 111. I, l!S.'»'», '2.0^. t'htn-tUileH mij»ifi, Hon. C'oii.spt'ctU.s Aviiiiii, I, 

 1S4!>, «>3. ('Iwi'ilrilt'H t,.iensi.s, L.vwKKsrK, Ann. N. V. Lye. V'l, IVf. lN.'»t), 1»>7. — 

 I{.\iKi», liiitls N. Am. l.H'»8, iri4, \A. xliv. — In. M. H. II, Minis, 7, |>I. vi. Cooi-kk, 

 <Mn. (ill. I, ls70, '6io. t'djjriiinifijus tr. tenuis, \Vai:tiiai'm:.n, Cab. J. I8t>8, 37«) ^ut-st- 

 in^'). 



Sp. Chau. Much .<mall( r than ^'. n'ri/itu'nuns, ImiI somcwluit .><iniilar. White on the 

 winpr extending' over only lour ouU-v priinaritv*, tho hase.-* of which, a.«< Wfll as the roinain- 

 inp^ on<'.s ^vi^h other (|iiill.-<. have roinul nifoii.s .^pot.-; on hoth weh."<. I'nder tail-coverts 

 and alxlonien with a stronpr yellowish-rni'oiis tinjrc Female more rufous and without the 

 white spot of the tail. Len<rth, 8.7'); win<:, 7.«H>. 



IIab. Basins of Rio Grande. (Jila. and Colorado Rivers, and west to (Julf of California ; 

 South as lar, at lea.st, as Co.sta Riea. Localities: Matamoras to San Antonio (Drksser. 

 Ihi.S 186.'). 471, hreed.^): W. Ari/...na (Coik.s. V. A. N. S. 18()(;, :*8) ; Costa Rica (Lawr. 

 An. \. V. Lye. IX, I'JO) : Yucatan (Lawk. N. Y. Lye L\. 1^04) 



Tlie inarkin«;.s of thi.s .•sspccies are iiuiU' (liflereiit froiu those of Chordeiles 

 popetue. In averaoe sjieeiniens the prevailiiii; eolor ahove may he described 

 as a inixetl giav, yellowish-rusty, bhick, and hrown, in varied hut veiy fine 

 mottlings. The top of the Iiead is rather iinifornily hrown, with a few 

 mottlings of oniyish-ru.sty, althoiii^h the concealed portion of the feathers is 

 nuich varied. On the na])e is a finely inottUMl collar of «j:rayish and black, 

 not very consjucuonsly defined, and rather interrupted on the median line. 

 A similar colLir is seen on the fore]»art of the breast. The middle of the 

 l)ack and the rump exhibit a coarser mottbng of the same without any 

 rufous. The scapulars and wing-coverts are beautifully variegated, much as 

 in some of the Waders, the pattern very irregular and scarcely capable of 

 definition. Tliere are, however, a good many large round s]>ots of pale 

 yellowish-rusty, very conspicuous among the other markings. There is 

 ([uite a large blotch of white on the wing, situated considerably nearer the 

 tip than the carj)al joint. It only involves four primaries, and extends 

 across both outer and inner webs. The four first primaries anterior to the 

 white bh)tches, and the remaining ones nearly from their ti])s, exhibit a 

 series of large round rufous spots not seen in the <jther North American 

 species. The other wing-cjuills have also similar markings. There is a 

 large V-shaped white mark on the throat, as in C. virfiiniaimx, though rather 

 larger proportioiudly. Posterior to this there are some rather conspicuous 

 blotches of rufous, behind which is the obscure finelv mottled collar of grav 

 and brown already referred to. The breast and remaining under parts are 

 dull white transversely banded with brown, with a strong tinge of yellowish- 

 rufous on the abdomen, about the vent, and on the under tail-coverts. The 

 tail is dark brown with about eight transverse bars of lighter ; the last are 



