588 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. tol. 48. 



of Caprimulgus macrurus now number nine; not a large number, 

 considering the great range of the species. These, taken together, 

 cover the following geographical area: North to New Guinea, the 

 Philippine Islands, southern China, Assam, and Nepal; west to the 

 western Himalaya Mountains and southwestern India; south to 

 Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, Lombok, Sumbawa, Timor, the Aru Islands, 

 and northern Australia; and east to northern Queensland and the 

 island of New Britain. 



The close resemblance of some widely separated races is not 

 wanting in this species. For instance, Caprimulgus macrurus 

 yorki, from northern Australia, is very close in all characters to 

 Caprimulgus macrurus macrurus, from Borneo and Java, though 

 readily separable from the intervening Caprimulgus macrurus 

 mesopTianis. 1 Also Caprimulgus macrurus Tceatsi, from northern 

 Australia, more nearly resembles Caprimulgus macrurus anamesus, 2 

 from Sumatra, than it does either of the two interposed races, Capri- 

 mulgus macrurus macrurus and Caprimulgus macrurus mesopTianis. 1 



Throughout most, if not all, of its range it is permanently resident, 

 and inhabits chiefly low altitudes. It is a bird of the woodlands, and 

 not often found away from trees. It is crepuscular and nocturnal, 

 and in general habits is similar to other members of the genus Capri- 

 mulgus. Its note has been described as resembling the sound made 

 by striking a plank with a hammer, and is often heard on moonlight 

 nights, particularly about the margins of the forest. Its eggs are 

 two, in color pale grayish or buffy, with brown and lavender markings. 



The sexes in this species are readily distinguishable. The female 

 differs from the male chiefly in having the broad light tips of the 

 outer pairs of tail-feathers much smaller, and buff or light brownish 

 instead of white; the light wing-patch much smaller, and ochraceous 

 in place of white; also the rectrices, wing-quills, and greater wing- 

 coverts much more strongly and distinctly barred with buff, ochra- 

 ceous or tawny. 



The juvenal plumage is in color similar to that of the adult, but on 

 the upper surface is more blended, the markings there duller and 

 less definite, those on pileum, scapulars, and tertials being finer; 

 wing edgings more ochraceous; lower parts lighter, anteriorly more 

 finely marked, and with throat-patch cream buff instead of white. 



Seasonal change in adults consists chiefly in some paling of the 

 plumage by wear, this sometimes resulting in the disappearance of 

 the edges of the feathers, which latter, however, does not greatly 

 change the general aspect of the plumage. 



The molt is not well illustrated by the specimens at hand. An 

 example of Caprimulgus macrurus anamesus 2 from Singapore (No. 

 175144, U.S.N.M.), collected on November 10, 1899, is molting both 



i See p. 590. 2 See p. 593. 



