70 



NIGHT-HAWK. 



sprinkled with light clay; a spot of pure white extends over the 

 five first primaries, the outer edge of the exterior feather excepted, 

 and about the middle of the wing; a triangular spot of white also 

 marks the throat, bending up on each side of the neck; the bill is 

 exceeding small, scarcely one eighth of an inch in length, and of 

 a black color; the nostrils circular, and surrounded with a promi- 

 nent rim; eye large and full, of a deep bluish black; the legs are 

 short, feathered a little below the knees, and, as well as the toes, 

 of a purplish flesh color, seamed with white; the middle claw is 

 pectinated on its inner edge, to serve as a comb to clear the bird 

 of vermin; the whole lower parts of the body are marked with 

 transverse lines of dusky and yellowish. The tail is somewhat 

 shorter than the wings when shut, is handsomely forked, and con- 

 sists of ten broad feathers ; the mouth is extremely large, and of a 

 reddish flesh color within; there are no bristles about the bill; the 

 tongue is very small, and attached to the inner surface of the 

 mouth. 



The female measures about nine inches in length and twenty- 

 two in breadth; difffers in having no white band on the tail, but has 

 the spot of white on the wing; wants the triangular spot of white on 

 the throat, instead of which there is a dully defined mark of a red- 

 dish cream color; the wings are nearly black, all the quills being 

 slightly tipt with white ; the tail is as in the male, and minutely 

 tipt with white; all the scapulars and whole upper parts are pow- 

 dered with a much lighter grey. 



There is no description of the present species in Turton's 

 translation of Linnaeus. The characters of the genus given in the 

 same work are also in this case incorrect, viz. " mouth furnished 

 with a series of bristles — tail not forhed^^ the Night-hawk having 

 nothing of the former, and its tail being largely forked. 



