182 MR. GOULD ON A NEW CAPRIMULGINE BIRD. [April 23, 



April 23rd, 1861. 



John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



Mr. Gould made some remarks on a species of Woodpecker from 

 Siam, which he believed to be referable to the Meiglyptes juyularis 

 of Blyth. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. Description of a New Species of the Family Caprimul- 

 GiD^. By John Gould^ Esq., F.R.S., etc. 



Chordeiles? pusillus. 



Crown of the head, back, and lesser wing-coverts dark brown, 

 mottled with grey and rufous, produced by each feather being crossed 

 by interrupted bars of grey on the basal three-fourths, and with ru- 

 fous near the tip ; the greater wing-coverts, tertiaries, and scapu- 

 laries are similarly marked, but the bands are larger and more 

 freckled, and are mingled grey and rufous, these feathers are also 

 largely tipped with rufous ; primaries very dark brown, the three 

 outermost crossed at about two-thirds from their base with a broad 

 band of white, which on the fourth feather assumes the form of a 

 large oval spot ; the remaining primaries are marked near their bases 

 with huffy white ; upper tail-coverts brown crossed by irregular bands 

 of huffy grey, and encircled with rufous at the tip ; two central tail- 

 feathers the same, the lateral ones brown, crossed by bands for three 

 parts of their length from their base, and the two on each side next 

 the central ones with a large spot of white at the tip ; on the throat 

 a large arrow-head-shaped mark of white ; feathers of the chest 

 brown, tipped with buff, forming a band across this part of the body ; 

 under surface crossed by numerous narrow, blackish-brown and 

 greyish- white bars , which latter become larger and whiter as they 

 proceed towards the vent ; under tail-coverts white ; tarsi naked and, 

 with the feet, mealy-brown. 



Total length 5| inches ; wing 5 ; tail 2^ ; tarsi ^. 



Hah. Supposed to be Bahia. 



Remark. — This is by far the smallest Goatsucker I have ever seen, 

 the size of its body not exceeding that of a common Sparrow {Passer 

 domesticus). Its gape is entirely destitute of bristles. 1 believe I 

 have placed it in the right genus ; at the same time I may observe 

 that the wings are more curved, and the primaries less resistant, than 

 in the other members of the genus Chordeiles. It is doubtless a 

 fully adult male. 



