THE EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR. 15 



CAPRIMULGUS .EGYPTIUS 



215. Caprimulgus segyptius segyptius Licht.* — THE 

 EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR. 



Caprimulgus segyptius Lichtenstein, Verz. DoubL, p. 59 (1823 — 



Typical locality : Egypt). 



Caprimulgus cegyptius (Licht.), Yarrell, in, p. ix ; Saunders, p. 270. 



Description. — Adult male and 

 female. Winter and summer. 

 — Whole upper-parts greyish 

 sand -colour, each feather very 

 finely freckled and marked 

 with irregular wavy bars of 

 black, varying number of 

 feathers at back of crown with 

 black tips and varying num- 

 ber on nape with sandy tips ; 

 mantle more buff not so grey The Egyptian Nightjar 



and feathers less freckled and (Caprimulgus ce. cegyptius). 



barring browner ; scapulars 



with wavy black bars more prominent and wider apart and most 

 feathers with a penultimate thick black band (giving a general 

 appearance of irregular black spots) and usually with some portion 

 of tips of feathers uniform sand -colour without freckling ; upper tail- 

 coverts like scapulars but without thick penultimate bands though 

 on longer feathers wavy bars are sometimes very broad ; lores cream 

 barred black ; cheeks, sides of throat, ear-coverts and upper-breast 

 much as upper-parts ; a white patch (varying in size) on lower- 

 throat which is usually almost divided centrally by feathers of 

 sandy-buff, tipped black and with a few narrow irregular black 

 bars ; under white patch and extending round sides of neck below 

 ear-coverts a narrow line of sandy-buff feathers similarly barred ; 

 breast same but tips of feathers vermiculated ; flanks and lower- 

 breast sandy-buff, feathers with narrow black-brown wavy bars 

 rather widely spaced ; centre of belly and under tail-coverts paler 

 and without bars except the longest coverts which are buffer and 

 have a few black bars but often on outer webs only ; under wing- 

 co verts pale sandy-buff barred brown ; axillaries same but whiter ; 

 tail : two central pairs as long upper tail-coverts, next pair tinged 

 rufous and usually less freckled and with black-brown wavy bars 

 more prominent, two outer pairs with stronger rufous tinge, 

 considerably less freckled and with black-brown bars considerably 

 broader and tips of feathers creamy-buff very lightly freckled 



* It is more likely that the true C. cegyptius cegyptius has occurred in 

 Europe than the Saharan form C. ce. saharce, but it would be desirable to 

 compare the specimen in Mr. Whitaker's collection. 



