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Show 128 MR. SCLATER ON THE AMERICAN CAPRIMULGIDcE. [Feb. 27, able from the Old-World Podarginar by the singular form of the bill (which has a strong tooth on the margin of the upper mandible), and by other peculiarities. I have seen specimens of five very distinct species of this genus, which may be shortly distinguished as follows:- 1. NYCTIBIUS GRANDIS. Caprimulgus grandis, G m . (ex Buff. PI. Enl. 325); Max. Beitr. iii. p. 295. Nyctibius grandis, Vieill.; Gray & Mitch. Gen. Birds, i. pi. 16 ; Jard. & Selby, 111. Orn. ser. 1. vol. ii. pi. 89 ; Schomb. Reise, iii. p. 711 ; Burm. Syst. Ueb. ii. p. 374. Albo-cinereus, partim rufescens, nigro vermiculatus ; axillis nigris, humeris rufis : subtus dilutior, fascia pectorali indistincta nigra: long, tota 19, alar 14, caudar 10 poll. Angl. Hab. Cayenne (Buff.) ; British Guiana (Schomb.) ; littoral of S.E. Brazil (Max.) ; Upper Ucayali (Bartlett). Easily distinguished from all its relatives except N. arthereus by its dimensions. It is well figured in Gray and Mitchell's ' Genera' (/. c.) about two-thirds of the natural size. The egg of this bird is described by Burmeister in Cabanis's Journal (i. p. 171), and has been figured by Thieneman. 2. NYCTIBIUS CETHEREUS. Caprimulgus arthereus, Max. Beitr. iii. p. 303. Nyctibius arthereus, Cassin, Cat.Capr.,et Pr. Acad. Phil. v. p. 184; Burm. Syst. Ueb. ii. p. 375. Rufus, nigro striatus, subtus dilutior, magis ochraceus; maculis pectoris rotundis et striis in ventre nigris : long, tota 20, alar 13, cauda 12. Hab. Littoral of S.E. Brazil, province of Bahia (Max.). This large species is easily distinguishable from N. grandis by its shorter wings and longer tail, by the rufous colouring above, the large black terminal spots on the breast-feathers, and the longitudinal black striae on the belly. There is a specimen in the British Museum, and others in Mr. Eyton's and Mr. Salvin's collections. Mr. Cassin (Pr. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. v. p. 184) says very truly according to m y ideas) that this species is a " much larger bird " than the next following, " being about the size of N. grandis." But the figure given by Mr. Cassin in the ' United States Exploring Expedition,' Atlas, Ornithology, pi. 14, and stated (p. 191) to be "of the natural size," is of much smaller dimensions than those assigned to it, and in some other respects more nearly resembles N. longicaudatus. 3. NYCTIBIUS LONGICAUDATUS. Caprimulgus longicaudatus, Spix, Av. Bras. ii. p. 1, pi. 1. Nyctibius longicaudatus, Tsch. F. P. p. 124 ; Cassin, Cat. Capr., et Pr. Ac. Phil. v. p. 184. Rufus, nigro vermiculatus; maculis pectoris rotundis et striya subrictali distincta nigris ; alis caudaque subtus distincte nigro |