40G NORTH AMKUICAN BIRDS. 



Chordeiles acutipennis, var. texensis, T.awrknce. 



TEXAS NIOHT-HAWX. 



ilinnlcilin hnisiliiiiiun, Lawiiknck, Aim. N'. Y. Iaci'Iuh, V, May, If*,'!!, 114 (not nf 

 (i.MKI.IN). — Cassis, 111. I, IS.'i,"), •J:IS, I'luirdrilis siipili, ItdN. Ciilispi-rtUH Avium, I, 



1841), t(3. (.'honlfile.i li.ivii.v.i, Lawiikmk, Ann. N. Y. Lyo. VI, Doc. 1850, 167. — 

 lUiiii), Binls N. .\iii. l,s,1S, 1,-|4, i>l. .xliv. - In. M. 11. II, KiriLs, 7, pi. vi. -Cooi'Kii, 

 Oni. ('ill. I, 1870, a45. V((jjriiiiii/<jusl(.ixiisis, WaisiiiausKN, Vnh. J. 1808, 370 ^lU'St- 

 inK>- 



Sp. CiiAit. Much .snialliT llmu ('. ririiiiildiniii. I>nt soincwiiaf similar. Wliilo ou tiio 

 winp cxti'iidiiif; over oiily lour outer priniarii's, tho hasu.s of wliii'ii, as well as the roiiiaiii- 

 inp; oucs with other iiuills, have roiunl rufous n\wt» on both webs. Uniler tail-coverts 

 null abdomen with a stroiifr yellnwish-rul'ons tiii<;e. Female lucre rul'ons anil without tho 

 white spot of llie tail. I,enj;lli, S.7'); winj:, 7.00. 



Had. Basins of Rio Grande, Gila, and Colorado Rivers, and west to ( iuU'olCalilbrnia ; 

 .'^oulli as far, at least, as ("osla I'iea. Localities: Matainoras to .San Antonio (Dkkssf.h, 

 Ibi.s, I8(i."), 471, lirce.l.*): W. Arizona (("ori-x V. A. N. S. IHtitl, .Vs) ; Costa Uica (Lawr. 

 An. N. V. Lye. IX, 120) ; Yucatan (Lawk. N. Y. Lye. IX, 204). 



Tlie iniukiii<,'.s of tlii.s species are quite difl'erciit fritiii those of Ohordfiilcs 

 popctnt: lir'avenioe siieciiiiuns tlie prtivailiiio color alinve may lie described 

 as a inixed pjray, yellowi.sh-ru.sty, black', and brown, in varied but veiy fine 

 niottling.s. Tlie toji of tlie head is ratlier iinil'ornily brown, with a few 

 niottlinj^s of <,'rayish-riisty, altliotio;h the concealed portion of the feathers is 

 much varied. On the najie is a finely mottled collar of <frayish and black, 

 not very consjiicuously detined, and rather interru]itcd on tho niedi.an line. 

 A similar collar is seen on the forejiart of the breast. The middle of the 

 back and the rump exhibit a coarser mottling of the same without any 

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

 in some of the Waders, the ])attern very irregular and scarcely cayiable of 

 definition. There are, iKJwever, a good many large round si)ots of pale 

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

 quite a large blotch of white ou the wing, situated considerably nearer tho 

 tip than the carjial joint. It only invohes four primaries, and extends 

 across both outer tind iinier webs. The four first ])rimaries anterior to the 

 wliite blotches, and the remaining ones nearly from their ti])s, exhibit a 

 series of large round rufous s])ots not seen in the other North American 

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

 large V-shajJed white mark on the throat, as in C. virf/iiuuiuDi, though ratlier 

 larger proportionally. Posterior to this there are some ratlier cons]iicuous 

 blotches of rufous, behind which is the obscure finely mottled collar of gray 

 and brown already referred to. The breast and remaining under jiarts 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 iibout eight transverse bars of lighter ; the lust are 



