

Order II. PASSERES. 



Tribe I. Fissirostres nocturnes. 



Family I. Caprimulgid^e. 



The second Subfamily, 



CAPRIMULGIN/E, or Goatsuckers, 



have the Bill short and weak, with the gape extending under each eye, extremely broad, and furnished 

 with more or less lengthened bristles ; the Wings long, and usually pointed ; the Tail more or less 

 lengthened, and round, or graduated, and sometimes forked ; the Tarsi more or less short, and almost 

 clothed throughout with short plumes, or entirely denuded and scaled ; the Toes moderate, with the 

 lateral ones shorter than the middle toe, and of equal length : the Claws of the middle toe large, and 

 pectinated on the sides ; those of the other toes small. 



Caprimulgus Linn.* 



Bill very short, with the gape extending under the eyes, very wide, and furnished with long strong- 

 bristles ; the culmen curved, and the sides much compressed to the tip, which is hooked and emarginated ; 

 the nostrils lateral, tubular, with the opening large, and partly exposed. Wings very long, and pointed; 

 with the second quill the longest. Tail rather long, broad, and more or less rounded; or very long, and 

 strongly forked. Tarsi shorter than the middle toe, strong, and more or less clothed with plumes. 

 Toes strong ; with the lateral toes short and equal ; the hind toe very short ; the middle toe long, and 

 armed with a broad serrated claw. 



The species of this genus are scattered in various parts of the world. They are migratory, and generally live in the 

 woods or on the dry tracts of pasture land ; but sometimes they are observed skimming round pools of stagnant water, and 

 over the surface of rivers. They feed on moths and beetles, which they catch on the wing in the. dusk of the evening 

 or early in the morning, retiring to some dark recess among the brushwood during the day. During their rapid flight 

 the mouth is widely extended and of enormous gape ; besides which it is surrounded with long rigid bristles, serving to 

 increase the space, and greatly to assist in the capture of their prey. They form no nest, but generally deposit two 

 eggs in a dry spot beneath the shelter of ferns and other plants. 



1. C. europceus Linn. PI. enl. 193. — Caprimulgus punctatus 

 Meyer; C. vulgaris Vieill. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 51., Smith, 111. 

 Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pi. 



2. C. rufieollis Temm. Man. d'Orni.h. p. 438. — Caprimulgus 

 rufitorques Vieill. 



3. C. rufigena Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pi. 



4. C. tristigma Riipp. Faun. Abyss, p. 105. — Caprimulgus po- 

 liocephalus Riipp. Syst. Uebers. Vog. t. 3. 



5. C. poliocephalus Riipp. Faun. Abyss, p. 106. — Caprimulgus 

 tetrastigma Riipp. Syst. Uebers. Vog. t. 4. 



6. C. infuscatus Riipp. Zool. Atlas, t. 6. — Caprimulgus nubicus 

 Licit. 



7. C. isabellinus Temm. PI. col. 379- — Caprimulgus segyptius 

 Licht. 



8. C. eximius Riipp. PI. col. 398. 



9. C. lentiginosis Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pi. 



10. C. natalensis Smith, 111. Zool. Afr. Birds, pi. 



11. C. jotaka Temm. & Schl. Faun. Japon. Ois. t. 1 2, 1 3. 



12. C. asiaticus Gmel. — Caprimulgus pectoralis Vieill. Levaill. 

 Ois. d'Afr. t. 49. 



* Established by Linnsus in 1756. 

 and Hydropsalia of Wagler (1832). 



Nyctiehelidon of Rennie (1831) is synonyn 



sof Mr Gould (1838). 



