390 GAPHIMULGIDJ-:. 



fasciata, gutture plaga magna transversa nivea infra nigro limbata, pectoris plumis albis nigro fasciafcis ; 

 abdomine albicante regulariter nigro fasciato, teotricibus subcaudalibus isabellino-albis ; alis nigricantibus 

 pallide fulvo transfasciatis ; cauda supra griseo efc nigro minute irrorata fasciis indistinctis notata, 

 rectricibus tribus lateralibus albo extrorsum increscente terminatis. Long, tota circa 7"5, alse 5*4, 

 caudsB 3-3, tarsi 0-65, dig. med. cum ungue 0-8. (Descr. exempl. ex Guanajuato, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 

 2 mari similis, sed maculis caudalibus minoribus. 



ffab. NoKTH Amekica, Western States from Oregon and Washington territory south- 

 wards ; Arizona and Texas ^ *. — Mexico, Guanajuato (mus. nostr. ^). 



Though this species is apparently common on our north-western frontier and is 

 doubtless found in Sonora and Sinaloa, we have only the evidence of a single specimen 

 to prove its existence in Mexico. This is an adult male which came into our possession 

 many years ago from Verreaux, who may have received it from his correspondent, 

 Senor E. Duges, as the label bears the locality Guanajuato on it. None of our collectors 

 in Northern and Western Mexico met with this species, and we have found no other 

 record of its occurrence within our limits. 



P. nuttalli has been separated into two or, perhaps, three races, dependent upon size 

 and a slight diflference of shade of colour ; but Mr. Hartert considers that the points of 

 distinction are not satisfactory. If, however, on further evidence they prove sufficient, 

 the Mexican bird should bear the name of the typical form P. nuttalli, being inter- 

 mediate in colour between Mr. Brewster's P. nuttalli nitidus and Mr. Kidgway's 

 P. nuttalli californicus. The dimensions, however, of our only Mexican skin, which is 

 not in good condition, are rather small. A full account of the history and habits of 

 this bird are given by Brewer ^ and by Dr. Coues ^, from which it would appear that it 

 is common in all the frontier States from Arizona to Texas. Mr. Eidgway found an 

 egg from which the male bird flew at the foot of the East Humboldt Mountains. This 

 egg was unspotted dead-white, and was laid on the bare ground beneath a sage-bush. 

 In colour, therefore, the eggs of this species resemble those of Caprimulgus macro- 

 mystax, taken by Mr. R. Owen in Vera Paz, to which we have already alluded. 



OTOPHANES. 



Otophanes, Brewster, Auk, v. p. 89 (1888) ; Hartert, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 581. 



Mr. Brewster has given an excellent description of this genus, the substance of which 

 is as follows : — ^Bill long, narrow, slender, with tubular nostrils opening forward and 

 outward, not upward ; the gape with long, stiff, naked bristles curving downwards and 

 inwards, meeting and overlapping under the chin ; tarsus naked, about equal to the 

 middle toe; tail long (only '80 inch shorter than the wing) and slightly rounded 

 (graduation about -25 inch) ; wing comparatively short and rounded, the second and 

 third quills equal and longest, the fourth slightly shorter, the first and fifth decidedly 

 shorter than the fourth and equal. Plumage peculiarly soft and velvety ; eyes bordered 

 in front by semicirclets of radiating feathers, the tips directed upwards and outwards, 



