ORD. IJrSESSORES. 



TRIBE FISSIROSTRES 



FAM. CAPRIMULGID^. 



GEN. CAPRIMULGUS. 



PLATE XXIV. 



CAPRIMULGUS INDICUS. 



LARGE INDIAN NIGHTJAR. 



Synon. — Capr. Indicus Lath. Jerdou (Cat. No. 251.) 

 The vague and imperfect description by Latham of his C. Indicus without any mea- 

 surements could scarcely have led to the identification of the subject of our present plate 

 had it not been for the figure in Gray and Hardwicke's ' Illustrations of Indian Zoology,' 

 by which I was led in my Catalogue to refer my bird to that species ; and as Latham else- 

 where describes most of the other Indian Caprimulgi, Gray was probably justified in refer- 

 ing Hardwicke's figure to Latham's Indicus. The drawing however in Gray and Hard- 

 wicke represents a female, and the male has not that I know been previously figured. 



This fine Nightjar has been found dispersed, though sparingly, over all India, and 

 has even a still more extended geographical distribution, as Mr. Blyth has procured speci- 

 mens from the East of Bengal, and even I believe from China. I procured my first specimens 

 from the NeUgherries, but have since obtained some from other parts of the country, from the 

 Deccan, the west coast, and even the Carnatic, but it is by no means a common species. It 

 affects chiefly the more wooded portions of the country, being usually found, and more com- 

 mon in forests than in the open country, and here frequenting only shady gardens and 

 large groves. On the Neilgherries it remains during the day in the dense woods there, issuing 

 from them about sunset, and then coming into the open ground, and perching on stones and 



F 



