BUSSET-NECKED NIGHTJAB. 101 



The south of Spain and France, namely, Provence, Marseilles, Nimes, 

 and Montpellier, are recorded as its European localities. To these, 

 through the kindness of Dr. Leith Adams, I am able to add Malta, 

 where a specimen was obtained by Charles Augustus Wright, Esq., 

 from whose notes I copy the following: — 



"In the spring of this year (1861) a native birdstuffer sent me word 

 of a curious Goat-sucker having been shot a few days previous, (in the 

 middle of May,) at Emtalitep, a valley situate on the southern coast 

 of this island. When I saw it the bird had already been set up, but 

 the skin was quite fresh, and there is no doubt about its being a fine 

 specimen of Caprimulgus ruficoUis. * * In addition to the 



localities given by Degiand, I know it is included in an unpublished 

 list of Egyptian birds in my possession, compiled from various sources 

 by Mr. W. C. Medlycott. As far as my information extends, it has 

 never been known to visit Sicily, or any part of Italy, except Nice, 

 where it has been occasionally met with. There appears to be no 

 previous record of its capture in Malta. I am glad to say that the 

 subject of this notice passed into my possession, and now occupies a 

 conspicuous place among my birds of Malta. C ruficoUis may be easily 

 distinguished from C. euro^jceus, by its larger size, general rufous 

 colouring, different proportionate length of primaries, two large white 

 spots on the throat, and the reddish collar from which it derives its 

 name. C. europceus is a very common bird in Malta during the vernal 

 and autumnal migrations. Before the capture of this species, C. rufi- 

 coUis was unknown as a Maltese visitor." A second instance of the 

 occurrence of this bird in Malta is recorded in the "Ibis" for 1865, 

 p. 464, by Mr. Wright. 



C. ruficoUis is apparently a rare and local bird in Europe, except 

 Spain. It is not mentioned by Mr. Salvin, in his interesting "Five 

 Months' Bird-nesting in the Eastern Atlas," nor in Lord Lilford's 

 "Notes upon the Birds of the Ionian Islands," published in the "Ibis." 

 Neither is it mentioned by Count Miihle, or Dr. Lindermayer, as a 

 visitor to Greece. It is included by the E,ev. A. C. Smith in the 

 "Birds of Portugal," "Ibis,'' 1868, p. 449. 



In Mr. Tristram's "Notes from Eastern Algeria," however, I find 

 the following, (Ibis, vol, ii., p. 374:) — "As evening drew near the 

 Ked-necked Goat-sucker, ( Caprimulgus ruficoUis,) flitted about the glades, 

 and the note of the Scops-Eared Owl floated on the air, with its 

 plaintive ' Maroof, maroof,' from which it derives its local appellation." 

 It is also mentioned by Captain Loche as inhabiting the three provinces 

 of Algeria. 



Dr. D. Antonio Machado, in his "Catalogo de las Aves observadas 



