NOTES AND QUERIES. 375 



but kept it two days in his house, and then threw it into the hack yard, 

 where it lay until the afternoon of the same day, hens, pigeons, and 

 children in the mean time doing their best to spoil its appearance. By 

 good luck I went up to see him, and hearing that it was a light-coloured 

 bird I went to look at it, and found what I thought was a pale variety 

 of the Common Nightjar. I need hardly say how vexed I was that it 

 had not been brought to me, but I cut off the wings and tail and brought 

 them home. On comparing them with Caprimulgus europaus, I saw a 

 striking difference, and sent back for the body, with which my birdstuffer 

 has contrived to make a skin. I wrote to tell Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., and 

 he at once replied, " Are you sure it is a variety? I think it is very likely 

 from your description to be Caprimulgus isabellinus ; if so, it is a new 

 British bird, and you have a prize indeed." I asked him to come and see 

 it, which he did, bringing with him a skin of Caprimulgus isabellinus, 

 kindly lent by Mr. Seebohm. On comparing it with mine, it agreed in 

 every way, both in colour and markings, as well as size ; but the most 

 striking point is that the tarsus is an eighth of an inch longer than in 

 G. europmus. We were both convinced, as also was Mr. E. Bidwell, who was 

 staying here at the time. This species has occurred in Heligoland, and is 

 now in Herr Gatke's collection. We have watched the place where my 

 specimen was shot, but no other has been seen. — J. Whitaker (Rainsworth 

 Lodge, near Mansfield). 



[A coloured plate of the Egyptian Nightjar will be found in Shelley's 

 'Birds of Egypt' (pi. 8), as also in Dresser's 'Birds of Europe' (vol. iv. 

 pi. 272), where it is figured under the title of Caprimulgus agyptius, 

 Lichtensteiu, that name apparently having precedence by two years over 

 Caprimulgus isabellinus, bestowed by Temminck in 1825. The bird is 

 distinguishable from the Common European Nightjar by its pale sandy 

 grey coloration, more finely barred tail, with white tips to the inner webs 

 of the primaries, and no white spots at the end of outer tail-feathers. Its 

 range, according to Mr. Dresser, is not very extensive. It is found in 

 North-East Africa, going eastward to Turkestan, where it was obtained by 

 Severtzoff, and has wandered as far north as Heligoland (Ibis, 1877, p. 163), 

 but has not hitherto been found in any other part of Europe. According to 

 Capt. Shelley (op. tit., p. 175) it is found throughout Egypt and Nubia, 

 and appears to be most plentiful in spring and autumn, when it is generally 

 in flocks. The eggs are described by Von Heuglin (Oru. Nord. Ost. Afr. 

 vol. i. p. 128) as being smaller, paler, and more ochreous-yellow than those 

 of Caprimulgus europaus, and clouded with light ash-blue and brownish 

 yellow. Should further examination of Mr. Whitaker's specimen confirm 

 his identification we shall have three species of Caprimulgus recorded as 

 visitors to the British Islands ; for, as some of our readers will remember, 

 Mr. John Hancock some years ago obtained a specimen of Capirimulgus 



