THE GAPERS. 



I29 



resemble the back in colour and markings, whilst those at the exterior are white, slightly spotted on 

 the upper portion, and dark brown towards the end. The upper parts of the throat and breast are 

 dark brown, with blackish t>rown markings ; the rest of the under side is of a paler hue. A yellowish 

 white line passes across the front of the throat North America is the actual habitat of this species, 

 which is, however, frequently seen in Central America and the West Indies during the course of its 

 migrations. 



The AFRICAN NIGHT JARS {Scotornis) constitute a group of birds distinguished from their 

 congeners by their remarkably long graduated tail, which far exceeds the body in length ; the third 



THE whip-poor-will {Antrostomus vociferus). 



quill of the wing is longer than the rest, thereby rendering it less pointed than that of most Goat- 

 suckers ; the beak is very small and delicate, and the bristles at its base comparatively long ; the 

 inner toes are longer than those on the exterior. The plumage is somewhat difficult to describe ; in 

 Scotornis dimacurus the body is principally of a pale reddish brown, with dark markings ; the chin, 

 cheek-stripes, and extremities of the smaller wing-covers are white, the quills black, spotted with grey 

 on the lower half ; the first six are striped with white in the middle ; the rest are spotted with red 

 and black, and tipped with white. The centre tail-feathers are marked with undulating lines of 

 different shades ; those at the exterior are white upon the outer web, and the two next in order 

 terminate in a white spot ; the lower side is a mixture of brown and grey, arranged in wave-like 

 curves. The male is about fifteen inches long and twenty broad ; the wing measures five inches and 

 a half and the tail full nine and a half. The body of the female is considerably shorter than that of 

 vol. 11. — 56 



