EUROSTOPODUS ALBOGULARIS.
White-throated Goat-sucker.
Caprimulgus albogularis, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. .Trans., vol. xv. p. 194, note.
---------------- mystacalis, Temm. PI. Col. 410.
D u r i n g m y visit to Australia I had opportunities of observing a number of this species ; it is still, however,
a rare bird in all our collections, and how far it may range over the Australian continent is not known ; the
south-eastern are the only portions in which it has yet been discovered; and although all the specimens I
have seen in collections were procured at Moreton Bay, I have killed three or four of an evening on the
cleared lands on the Upper Hunter, which .shows that it is far from being a scarce bird in that part of New
South Wales. In all probability it is only a summer visitant in the colony, as it was at this season only that
I observed it. In the daytime it sleeps on the ground on some dry knoll or open part of the forest, and as
twilight approaches sallies forth to the open glades and small plains or cleared lands in search of insects;
its flight, which is much more powerful than that o f any other Goatsucker I have seen, enabling it to pass
through the air with great rapidity, and to mount up and dart down almost at right angles whenever an
insect comes within the range o f its eye, which is so large and full that its powers of vision must be very
great. Most o f those I shot were gorged with insects, principally coleoptera and locusts, some of which
were entire and so large as to excite surprise how they could be swallowed; in several instances they were
so perfect, that I preserved them as specimens for my entomological collection.
Of its nidification I have no information to furnish; it doubtless, however, breeds on the ground, and
judging from analogy its eggs will be found to be either one or two in number, and in form and colour
partaking of the character o f those o f Caprimulgus, and not of those of Podargus and JEgotheles.
Contrary to what might have been expected, I found that although the sexes are nearly alike in colour, the
females always exceed the males in size and in the brilliance of the tints; the males, on the other hand, have
the two white spots on the third and fourth primaries more conspicuous than in the female.
All the upper surface very minutely freckled grey and brown; the feathers on the crown o f the head and
at the occiput with a large patch o f black down the centre; behind the ear-coverts a patch o f dark brown
sprinkled with brownish buff; from the angle of the mouth passing round the back of the neck an indistinct
collar of intermingled buff, chestnut and black; scapularies variegated with dark brown on their outer
webs and margined with bright fulvous ; wing dark brown variegated with fulvous and g rey; secondaries
dark brown, with a regular series of bright fulvous spots along each web ; primaries blackish brown, the two
first without any spot, the remainder spotted like the secondaries, the third having a spot o f white on its inner
and outer web about the centre o f the feather, the fourth with a large white spot on its outer web ; two
centre and outer webs o f the remaining tail-feathers dark brown, marbled with irregular bars o f g r ey ; the
inner webs o f the lateral feathers dark brown, crossed with irregular bands of light buff; throat blackish
brown, spotted with bright buff; on each side of the throat a large oval spot of white ; breast dark brown,
spotted above with dull buff, and broadly freckled witb dull buff and grey; abdomen and under tail-coverts
bright fulvous, crossed with bars o f dark brown ; irides dark brown ; feet mealy reddish brown.
The Plate represents a female of the natural size.