194 



RUSSET-NECKED NIGHTJAR. 



Mr. Swainson has separated the Nightjars into two 

 groups. In that for which he retains the name of 

 Caprimidg us , the two lateral toes of the foot are of the 

 same length; in the other the inner toe is longer than 

 the outer, and these he has classed under the generic 

 name Scotomix, and it is to this group that Caprimulgus 

 climaturus belongs. It is here I think that classifiers 

 err. There is no family so well marked as a family 

 as the Nightjars. In colour they so much resemble 

 each other, that it is impossible to designate by this 

 character alone one species from another. Why then 

 divide the genus? Because some few members of the 

 family have a slight difference in the lateral toes, surely 

 we have no right to complicate by dividing the genus ! 

 So long as their structure, habits, and ornamentation 

 are similar, a slight deviation in the length of a toe is, 

 with all deference to Mr. Swainson, insufficient to 

 constitute generic distinction. 



The claims of C. climaturus as a European species 

 are, I think, too slight to justify me in introducing it 

 into this work, further than by the present notice. 



Foot of Russet-necked Nightjar, slightly enlarged. 



