CAPRIMULGUS MACRURUS, Horsf.
Large-tailed Goatsucker.
Caprimiilgus macrwus, Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 142.
This the only true to inhabit Australia, is I believe identical with I N H K H
8 W ■ sp eL e n s were procured in Java, while those I possess were obtained at Po
Essington where the bird is moderately plentiful; hence it would appear tfeat it has an unusua y
! ■ — K inhabits the open parts of the forest-and is strictly nocturnal; it mostly rests on
he l a n d on the shady side o f a large tree , close to the roots, and; if disturbed several times in succession .
L f to 1 branch of one of the largest t r e e , I have never seen the eggs of this spec.es but I possess a
young bird apparently only a few days old, which Mr, Gilbert found lying under a
anv nest or even a blade of grass near i t ; the little creature was so similar in colour to MW the
around upon which it was lybg, that it was with difficulty detected, and Mr. Gilbert was only induced to
search for it from the very peculiar manner in which the old bird rose the of°nearly
the spot, and its hovering over the place it had risen from, instead of flying off to the distance 0» )
a “ r l each other by the greater e x t e n t ! the white marh on the primaries
and outer tail-feathers; in other parts of the plumage and in s,v.e there is
Its food consists of moths, flies and coleopterous insects, which are taken during flight
Head brownish grey, very minutely freckled with black; the feathers down the H —
. occiput with a large broad stripe of black down the centre;
coverts reddish brown ; on each side of the neck a broad stripe of rich buff b ’
Of White passes below the angle of the mouth ; chin brown; across the throat a band o f white W e d be o ^
bv black, the extremities of the white feathers being of that hue ; cen re o ^ ^ ^
with black and buff; shoulders blackish brown; wmg-coverts freckled grey, > d th
snot of buff at the tip; primaries and secondaries-blackish brown, the former crossed at their base, and the ■ ■ « H I entire length, with reddish buff; the second and third primaries crossed near their
Imse with a broad band of white? stained with buff on the outer margin ; the first primary with a spot of
W H m m m m Of the ¡nnerweb ; the first three primaries freckled at their tips, and the remainder
for L entire length of their inner webs with brownish grey; scapularies freckled
1‘aro-e patch of deep dull black on their outer webs, margined externally with buff , rump rec e WB— i 1 with an interrupted line of darker brown down the centre of each feather ; two centre
tail-feathers° minutely and coarsely, freckled with very dark brown ; the next on each side very dark brown
crossed by irregular bands of freckled brownish grey and black; the next on each side similar, the bands
narrower and less conspicuous ; the two outer ones on each side very dark brown for three parts of
length the apical portion being white, stained with freckled buff and black on the outer webs ; the basal or
dark portion crossed by narrot indistinct and irregular bars of
brown, some of the feathers in the centre of the breast largely tipped with buff; abdomen and unde,- tad.
coverts deep buff, crossed by narrow regular bands o f dark brown ; .rides blackish brown ; bill black ,
and claws reddish brown.
The Plate represents a male and a female o f the natural size.