144 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Ibiyau, Azaka, Apuut. 1801, No. 310. 



Nyctidromus americanus, Cassin, Pr. A. N. S. 1851, 179, 180; Catal. Caprim. Mus. 

 Phila. Acad. 1851, 12 (Nicaragua).— Scl., P. Z. S. 1856, 285; 1859, 367 

 (Jalapa, E. Mexico).— Scl. & Salv., Ibis, 1859, 125, 173 (Guatemala).— 

 Caban. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Ill, 1860, 92 (Jalapa; Porto Cabello ; Guiana; 

 Brazil).— Lawr., Adu. Lyc. N.Y.VII, 1861, 290 (Isth. Panama).— Salvin, 

 Ibis, 1866,203 (Guatemala).— Coues & Sennett, Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. 

 Terr. vol. iv, No. 1, Feb. 1878, 34 (Brownsville, Texas). 



Nyctidromus affinis, Gray, List B. Brit. Mus. II, 1844, 11, No. 2. 



Nyctidromus derby anus, Gould, Icon. Av. II, 1838, pi. 2. — Gray & Mitch., Genera 



B. I, 1849, 48.— Bonap., Consp. I, 1850, 62. 

 Caprimulgus grallarius, Wied, Mus. Lugd. (teste Bonap., Consp. 1, 1850, 62). 



Nyctidromus grallarius, Bonap., Consp. 1, 1850, 62 (Brazil). — Cassin, P. A. N. S. 



1851, 179, 183 ; Catal. Caprim. Mus. Phila. Acad. 1851, 12 (Bogota). — BuRM. r 



Th. Bras. II, 1856, 392. 

 Caprimulgus laticaudatus, Drapiez, Diet. Class. Hist. Nat. VI, 1824, 169 (teste Cassin). 



Sp. ch. — Adult male: Wing, 6.75; tail, 6.75; tarsus, 1.10; middle toe, 

 .80. Tarsus and heel-joint completely bare. Above, finely mottled 

 brownish-gray, the crown with a central series of black, longitudinal 

 dashes, the scapulars beautifully variegated with black and creamy-buff 

 or ochraceous, in large, somewhat \/-sh a P e d? markings; wing-coverts 

 with large terminal spots of creamy-bufif or ochraceous. Basal portion 

 (sometimes almost the basal half) of the exposed portion of the larger 

 primaries white, including both webs, and forming a conspicuous patch ; 

 remainder of the quills uniform plain dusky. Outer tail-feather (on 

 each side) nearly plain blackish throughout ; next feather chiefly white, 

 with the greater portion of the outer web blackish ; third feather chiefly 

 white, with the outer web margined more or less with dusky ; four middle 

 tail-feathers without any white, the ground color being mottled grayish, 

 variegated by ragged, badly defined "herring-bone*' blotches of black- 

 ish along the shaft. Lower parts deep buff or creamy-ochraceous, the 

 throat crossed by a distinct collar of pure white, the remaiug portions 

 transversely barred or "rayed" with dusky, these bars wider apart 

 posteriorly. 



Adult female: Wing, 6.00-6.30; tail, 5.80-6.00. Generally similar to 

 the male, but smaller, the colors less pure, the markings less sharply 

 contrasted, and the white areas of the primaries and rectrices more re- 

 stricted. General hue of the plumage decidedly more brownish; white 

 patches on the primaries situated rather farther toward the ends of the 

 feathers, occupying only the outer four (instead of six) quills; of smaller 

 extent than in the male, and more or less tinged with ochraceous. White 

 of the rectrices occupying only the terminal portion (from 0.75 of an 

 inch to 1.75 inches) of the inner web of the second and third tail-feathers 

 (counting from the outer), the blackish portions of these feathers broadi) 

 though somewhat irregularly barred and mottled with ochraceous. 

 White gular collar less distinct than in the male. 



With a somewhat close general resemblance to the Whip-poor-will 

 (Caprimulgus vociferus), this species may be at once distinguished by 



