130 mr. sclater on the american capiumulgid/e. [feb. 27 



5. Nyctibius leucopterus. 



Caprimulgus leucopterus, Pr. Max. Beitr. iii. p. 311. 



Nyctibius leucopterus, DesMurs, Icon. Orn. pis. 49, 50 ; Burm. 

 Syst. Ueb. ii. p. 377. 



Cinereus nigro maculatus, axil/is nigris, humeris pure albis : long, 

 tota 11, alee 8'3, caudce 52. 



Hab. Coast-region of S.E. Brazil, Caravellos, and Babia {Max.). 



At once distinguishable by its small size and the snowy-white patch 

 on the middle coverts. The only example I have seen of this spe- 

 cies has been kindly lent to me by Mr. Eyton. 



I have not yet met with examples of two other species, which are 

 apparently valid, namely — 



6. Nyctibius bracteatus. 



Nyctibius bracteatus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1846, p. 1 ; Cassin, Cat. 

 Capr., et Pr. Acad. Sc. Philad. v. p. 184. 



Castaneo-fuscus, scapularium apicibus et abdomine maculis albis, 

 quasi bracteis, ornatus : long, tota 9"5, alee 6, caudce 55 

 (Gould). 

 Hab. New Granada, Bogota. 



Mus. Reg. Inst, de Liverpool et Acad. Philadelphicse. 

 This must be a scarce species. In the thousands of Bogota skins 

 I have examined I have never met with it. 



7. Nyctibius rufus. 



Nyctibius rufus, Cab. in Schomb. Guian. iii. p. 711. 

 Hab. British Guiana (Schomb.). 



Apparently well marked by its rufous general colouring and small 

 size. 



Subfam. II. STEATORNITHIN^E. 



Of this subfamily there is only a single known representative, 

 namely, 



Steatornis caripensis. 



Caprimulgus steatornis et Steatornis caripensis, Humboldt. 



Steatornis caripensis, l'Herminier, Ann. d. Mus. ser. 3. iii. p. 321, 

 t. 15 ; E. C. Taylor, Ibis, 1864, p. 88. 



This remarkable bird was discovered by Humboldt and Bonpland 

 in 1799, near the Mission of Caripe in the province of Cumana, Ve- 

 nezuela. It also inhabits the caves beneath the ravine crossed by 

 the celebrated " Natural bridge " of Pandi near Bogota, and the 

 " Quebrada negra" of Guaduas in the same neighbourhood*, the 

 chasm called the Hoyo del Aire, fourteen miles N.N.E. of Velez in 

 New Granada t; and in all probability other similar localities in 

 New Granada and Venezuela. 



* Roulin, Compt. Kend. iii. p. 94 (1836). 



t Holton's New Granada (New York. 1857). p. 263. 



