CAPRIMULOID.E — THE GOATSUCKERS. 417 



Antrostomus nuttalli, (^assin. 



HUTTAIL'S WHIPPOORWILL ; FOOB-WILL. 



Caprimulgits nuttalli, Aud. Bir<ls Am. VII, 1843, pi. ccccxcv. Appendix. Antrostomus 

 nuUalli, Cassin, J. A. N. Sc. Pliila. 2(1 series, II, 1852, 123. —In. 111. I, 1855, 237. 

 — Nkwdkuiiy, Zoiil. Cal. nnd Oregon Route, 77 ; Rep. P. R. 1{. Surv. VI, iv. — 

 Baiud, Birds N. Am. 1858, U9. — Cooi'EB & Suckley, 160. — CoorEU, Orn. Cal. 

 1, 1870, 341. 



Sp. Char. Rictal bristles without any lateral filaments ; wing, about 5..'j0 ; the top of the 

 bead hoary gray, with narrow and tran.sverso, not longitudinal bands. Tail above, e.xcept 

 the central feathers, nearly black on the terminal half, the extreme tip only (in the outer 

 feather of each side) being wliite for nearly an inch, diminishing on the second and third. 

 Length, 8.00; wing, 5.50. Female without tiie white tip of tail. Audubon describes the 

 male as follows : " Bill, l)lack ; iris, dark hazel ; feet, reddish-purple ; scales and claw.s, 

 darker ; general color of upper parts dark brownish-gray, lighter on the head and medial 

 tail-feathers, which extend lialf an inch beyond the otliers*, all which arc minutely streaked 

 and sprinkled with brownish-l)lack and ash-gray. Quills and coverts dull cinnamon color, 

 spotted in bars with brownish-black ; tips of former mottled with light and dark brown ; 

 three lateral tail-fe.ithers barred with dark brown and cinnamon, and tipped with white. 

 Throat brown, annulated with black ; a band of white across foreneck ; beneath the 

 latter black, mixed with bars of light yellowish-gray and black lines. Under tail-coverts 

 dull yellow. Length, 7.25; wing, 5.75; bill, edge, .19; second and third quills nearly 

 equal. Tail to end of upper feathers, 3.50 ; tarsus, .03 ; middle toe, .03 ; claw, .25 ; 

 strongly pectinated." 



Hab. High Central Plains to the Pacific coast. San Antonio, Texas (Dresseb, Ibis, 

 1805, 471, breeds) ; W. Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 18CG, 58) ; Guanajuata, Me.x. (Salvin, 

 p. 1014). 



Nuttall's Wliippoorwill is readily distinguished from the other North Ameri- 

 can species by the transverse, not longitudinal, lines on the top of head, the 

 narrow white tip of tail on both webs, and the inferior size, as well as by 

 numerous other points of difference. 



Habits. This species was first described by Mr. Audubon from a speci- 

 men obtained near the Rocky Mountains, but with no information in regard 

 to any peculiarities of habit. From Mr. Nuttall we learn that these birds 

 were first observed by Iiim on the 10th of June, amidst the naked granite 

 hills of the sources of the Upper Platte River, called Sweet-Water. It was 

 about twilight, and from the clefts of the rocks they were uttering at inter- 

 vals a low wailing cry, in the manner of the Wliippoorwill, and sounding 

 like the cry of the young of that species, or pe-cu. Afterwards, on the 7th 

 of August, when encanii)ed on the high ravine of the insulated mountains 

 so conspicuous from Lewis River, called the Three Buttes, this bird was 

 again observed, as it flew from under a stone near the summit of the moun- 

 tain. It flew alK)ut iiawking for insects near their elevated camp, for two 

 or three hours, but wtis now silent. On the 16th of June, near the banks 

 of the Sandy River of the Colorado, Mr. Nuttall again" heard its nocturnal 

 cry, which he says sounded like jyevai. 



vol.. II. 53 



