450 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — FICABI^ — CYFSELIFORMES. 
dromus probably comes. One or two species, long well known in tropical America, lately 
found N. to Texas. 
395. N. albicomis. (Lat. alhus, white ; collum, neck.) White-throated Night-courser. 
Pauraqut:. Adult ^ : Assuming brownish-gray as the ground color of the upper parts : 
Crown heavily dashed with black streaks along the middle line, with narrow black shaft-lines 
at the sides and on nape. Back more diflFusely streaked with black in smaller pattern, tending 
to break up in chains of shaft-spots, and with lighter gray and brown marbling. Scapulars 
and tertiaries boldly and beautifully marked with firm, even, sharp lines of white or tawny- 
white — the arrow-headed edgings of angular black terminal fields. Wing-coverts curiously 
mottled with black, white, and tawny — the white and tawny conspicuous as large irregularly 
roundish spots. Five outer prnnaries with a large oblique white spot, on the 1st at about its 
middle, on the others nearing their ends ; these primaries otherwise plain blackish, except a 
little marbling at their ends — the whtde efiect thus as in Chordediles. Other primaries and all 
the secondaries blackish, fully scalloped and barred with tawny in increasing amount and regu- 
larity from without inward. Four middle tail-feathers clouded with the same variegated colors 
as the other upper parts, but without definite white — the markings tending to wavy cross-bars. 
Next two lateral feathers on each side with great white spaces on one or both webs at end, 2-3 
inches long, the rest of these feathers chiefly barred with black and ta^Aoiy ; outer feather chiefly 
black, but with marbling, and with white and tawny. Ear-coverts rich chestnut, well con- 
trasted with surroundings. Throat with a broad white collar, some of the M'hite feathers black- 
tipped. Under parts ochraceous or pale tawny, varied with whitish, and pretty regularly 
barred crosswise with blackish-brown, thus somewhat as in Chordediles. Length 13.00 ; 
extent 25.00: wing and tail, each, 7.50; tail graduated 1.00 ; tarsus 1.00; middle toe and 
claw 1.25. Another Texas specimen (perhaps 9? but with even more white on the tail, but 
white on only 4 primaries) is much smaller: length about 10.50 ; wing 6.50; tail 6.00. The 
species is said to be very variable in size and markings ; 9 to have the collar buff. Tropical 
America, N. to Texas, where common in the valley of the Lower Rio Grande. Eggs 2, laid 
on the ground ; 1.25 X 0.92, creamy-buff, spotted with pinkish, brown, and lilac. 
1 28, ANTRO'STOMUS. (Or. avrpov, antron, a cave ; aTOfia, stoma, mouth ; alluding to the cav- 
ernous mouth. Fig. 292.) American 
Night- JARS. Nostrils oval, with a raised 
rim not prolonged as a tube, opening up- 
ward and outward. Rictal bristles im- 
mense, with or without lateral filaments, 
and other bristly or bristle-bearded featliers 
about the bill. Tarsus not longer than 
middle toe without claw, feathered in front 
nearly to the toes. Wing rounded, tipped 
by 2d and 3d quills, folding to beyond the 
middle of the tail, which is rounded (not 
enough so in fig. 293) and much shorter 
than wing. Plumage very lax, with mi- 
nutely marbled coloration, in some places 
as if dusted or frosted over ; primaries 
weak, all mottled with tawny, without great white spaces ; under parts mottled, with little 
tendency to regular crosswise barring ; markings of crown longitudinal. Size medium and 
rather large; sexes distinguishable; eggs 2, heavily colored. Highly nocturnal. Containing 
those shadowy birds, consorts of bats and owls, — those scarce-embodied voices of the night, 
here, there, and everywhere unseen, but shrilling on the ear with sorrow -stricken iteration. 
Fig. 292. — Head and foot of Whippoorwill, nat. size 
(Adnat. del. R. Ridgway.) 
