50 PASSERES. CAPRIMULGID^:. 



an elaborately coloured figure of the species in his 

 drawings. I have never met with it, but I think 

 Mr. Hill has ; for he has assured me of the ex- 

 istence of two true Nyctibii in Jamaica, besides the 

 common Potoo ; and two Caprimulgi, besides the 

 Piramidig. I knew not exactly which species are 

 alluded to in the following extract from a letter 

 of Andrew Gregory Johnston, Esq., of Portland 

 parish, a mountain region, to Mr. Hill. " We have 

 two birds called Patoo ; one white, the other brown. 

 The first resembles the Scritch-Owl of Europe ; the 

 last is smaller ; it is dark brown, and makes a noise 

 by night, (and occasionally by day) half guttural, 

 half pectoral or ventral, sounding the monosyllable 

 ivow 9 at short intervals. I have seen a brown Patoo 



first joint of the middle toe is only f of an inch. The length of that 

 part which ought to be called the leg, [tibia ?] is 1-J inch, and the bone 

 of the thigh 1 inch. Toes four, three before, one behind ; covered with 

 ash-coloured scales, very flat beneath, and all connected by narrow 

 membrane. Claws brown, strong, gently curved and compressed ; mid- 

 dle claw thinned to an edge on the inner side, but not serrate. Tail o^ 

 ten feathers, equal, broad, rounded, barred with blackish and grey, and 

 these bars again marked with less black bars. Wing quills coloured 

 chiefly like the tail, but deeper ; secondaries edged with clay-colour ; 

 winglet and long coverts immediately beneath it, black, with a few 

 whitish bars ; greater coverts black, edged with clay-colour ; the next 

 row of coverts whitish, with black shafts ; the next row black, making 

 a large triangular black spot in the expanded wing. Eyes very large^ 

 irides bright yellow. Head, neck, and throat white, with black shafts ; 

 above each eye some black and white streaked feathers in an erect po- 

 sition, forming two small roundish rings. On the breast, clay-coloured 

 feathers with black shafts, and black spots. Sides, belly, and vent, 

 white with black shafts. A line of black feathers down the middle of 

 the back ; rump ashy, with narrow black shafts. On shoulders a mixture 

 of ash and clay-colour, with black shafts. Plumage very loose. Weight 

 3 oz. 7 sc." 



