42 FRIENDS OP THE AGRICtrLTUEIST 



The White-bellied Swift {G. africanus) is the largest species 

 in South Africa, and is of a mouse-brown colour with a white 

 patch on the throat and another on the abdomen. Length 

 of bird, 8 inches. 



Another well-known South African species is the White- . 

 rumped Swift (C. caffer), which is very much "smaller than 

 C. africanus ; it is more or less black in colour, with a white 

 rump, chin and throat. It measures about 6| inches in 

 length. 



This bird usually nests in old Swallows' nests and lays 

 two elongated white eggs. 



NIGHTJARS 



Amongst the Nightjar family {CafrimulgidcB), or Groat- 

 suckers as they are more often called (the Nachtuil — ^night- 

 owl of the Boers), we find some of the greatest insect- 

 destroyers. 



The members of this family are all of a mottled drab 

 or brown colour and not easy of description, except by 

 scientifically worded diagnoses. One member is a con- 

 spicuous exception, this being the beautiful Standard- 

 winged Nightjar {Cosmetornis vexillaritis), which has the 

 ninth primary wing-feather elongated to something like 

 three times the length of the bird. 



It is only an inhabitant of the more tropical portions, 

 ranging from Zululand northwards to Mashonaland and 

 across to the northern parts of Damaraland ; it has been 

 taken at Pretoria. 



In the neighbourhood of Grahamstown we should say 

 the commonest species is the South African Nightjar {Capri- 

 mulgus 'pectoralis), of which we give two illustrations, both 

 exhibiting the wonderful assimilative (and consequently 



