CAPEIMULQIDJj; CAPEIMULGUS 33 



[Macamao] ; Butler, Feilden, and Beid, Zool. 1882, p. 205 [Oamper- 

 downj ; Ayres, Ibis, 1884, p. 222 [EustenburgJ , 1886, p. 284 

 [Potchefstroom] ; Hartert, Cat. B. M. xvi, p. 526 (1892) ; Shelley, 

 B. Afr. i, p. 106 (1896) ; Hartert, Tierreich, Poda/rg. p. 56 (1897) ; 

 Woodward Bros. Natal Birds, p. 84 (1899). 



Caprimulgus smithii, Bp. Consp. i, p. 59 (1850) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. 

 p. 47 (1867). 



Caprimulgus infuscatus {nee Cretz.), Ourney, This, 1859, p. 242, 1868, 

 p. 151. 



"Nacht-uil" {i.e.. Night-owl) of the Dutch; "Isavolo" of the Zulus 

 (both applied to all Night-jars). 



Description. Male. — General colour above ashy-brown, the 

 feathers of the head and back vermiculated and streaked with 

 black; sides of the head and neck with a few scattered pale 

 ochreous spots, but no defined collar on the nape ; scapulars 

 like the beak. Wing-coverts with black and pale ochre mottling, 

 wing - feathers blackish, with rufous -buff spots on both inner 

 and outer webs, the three outer primaries with a conspicuous white 

 spot towards the terminal half of the feather ; tail ashy-brown, with 

 narrow, irregular black cross bars, the two outer feathers on either 

 side white for their terminal inch at least ; chin and throat speckled 

 yellow, white and blackish ; breast somewhat darker ; abdomen and 

 under tail-coverts pale ochre, narrowly barred with black. 



Iris dusky hazel ; bill dusky ; legs and feet dusky. 



Length about lO'O ; wing 7"25 ; tail 5-25 ; culmen 035 ; tarsus 

 0-70 ; feathered in front for about three-quarters of its length, bare 

 behind. 



The female resembles the male, but lacks the white spots on 

 the wing and tail-feathers, and is slightly smaller. 



Young birds in the first year are paler in coloration ; the males 

 are then much like the old females, and are without the white 

 spots on the outer rectrices, and the white on the primaries is 

 replaced by buff. 



Distribution. — This is an European bird which visits South 

 Africa toward the northern winter from about November to March. 

 It is widespread all over our region from Cape Town to the 

 Limpopo, but, although probably occurring there on migration at 

 least, has not yet been noticed in Ehodesia and Damaraland. 

 The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony — Cape division, 

 especially in March (Layard), Swellendam, Knysna in February 

 (And,ersson), Grahamstown, King Williams Town, and Colesberg, 

 Port St. John, March (S.A. Mus.); Natal — Durban in February 

 3 VOL. m. 



