SPOTTED NIGHTJAR. 
crown of the head almost entirely black ; some of the feathers on the nape, upper 
back, scapulars, and upper wing-coverts grey finely vermiculated with brown 
more coarsely on the lower back and upper tail-coverts ; bastard-wing, primary- 
coverts, greater upper wing-coverts and flight-quills dark brown with buff spots 
on the outer-webs and incomplete bars of the same colour on the inner ones, some 
of the secondary-quills tipped with buff, most of the primary-quills mottled with 
rufous at the tips — ^the outer ones darker and inclining to blackish with an incomplete 
band of white on the first four which commences on the inner-web of the outer- 
quill and becomes more or less smoky on the fourth one ; tail dark brown profusely 
mottled with grey on the middle-feathers and more coarsely marked with cinnamon- 
rufous and buff on the lateral ones, where it assumes the form of mottled bars, 
there is more or less cinnamon-rufous on the central feathers which is more 
pronounced at the tips ; sides of face, a line above the eye, and chin dark brown 
with buff or cinnamon tips to the feathers ; a V-shaped patch of white on the 
throat ; lower throat and upper-breast cinnamon with narrow dark brown bars, 
some of which are acuminate in form ; lower-breast, abdomen, sides of body, 
axillaries, and under wing-coverts fulvous with narrow dark bars, the inner under 
wing-coverts, lower flanks, vent and under tail-coverts almost uniform fulvous, 
the under tail-coverts are very soft and fluffy in texture ; greater under wing- 
coverts, inner primary- and secondary-quills below dark brown marked with buff 
or pale fulvous, outer flight-quills almost uniform dark brown with an incomplete 
band of white on the four outer feathers ; lower aspect of tail dark brown profusely 
marked with mottled bars of buff. Collected on the Mary River, Northern 
Territory, on the 3rd of May, 1895. 
Nestling. “ Of a reddish-brown colour ” (Gould). 
Nest. None made, the egg is deposited on the ground. 
Egg. Clutch, one, ground-colour yellowish-olive, sparingly spotted with reddish-purple 
or lavender spots. 32-34 mm. by 24-25. (September, Dawson River.) 
Breeding-season. September to December. 
As noted in connection with the preceding species, this form was characterised 
by Vigors and Horsfield under the name Caprimulgus guttatus, these authors 
writing : “ The only specimen of this bird contained in the Society’s collection 
was injured before it came into the hands of Mr. Caley. It is, however, 
sufficiently preserved to show the genus to which it belongs, and to afford a 
clear specific distinction. The bill has all the characters of that of the true 
Caprimulgus^ being weak, narrowed, and much compressed at the apex, with 
round and elevated nostrils ; the legs also, Uke those of the same genus, are 
short, weak, and feathered to the toes, which are uneven, and have the middle 
nail serrated. The wings are more rounded than in other Goatsuckers ; but 
this apparent deviation from the genus is probably owing to the mode in 
which the specimen has been prepared. The plumage above is nearly 
perfect ; and the wings exhibit without any deficiency the beautiful series 
of regular round spots described above, from which the specific name has 
been derived. But the plumage of the abdomen, and of the underparts 
generally is defective. Mr. Caley informs us that the bird was picked up dead 
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