CAPRIMULGI S Rl FICOLLI S , Tmm.
Red-necked Goatsucker.
Capritntdgus ruficollu, Temin. Man. d’Orn., 2nd edit., p. 43».
— rufitorquis, Bonn, et Vieill. Ency. M&h., Oru., part 11. p. M6.
rufitorquatut, Vieill. Faun. Fran«;., tom. i. p. 142.
— turquatus, Brehm.
An „„fimAl*! specimen o f this fine Nightjar having been killed in Eiigiiuul, it lwconMN. neccs.arv to give it
a phn-r among the Birds of Great Britain. With, reference to its occurrence in this country 1 cannot,
perhaps, do better than quote the brief account of it published by Mr. John lhincock in • I he Ibis for
1862, p. i » :—“ So far back as the 6th of October, 1856, I obtained a fresh-killed specimen of this rare
E u r o p e a n Goatsucker, o f Mr. Pape, a game-dealer of this town. It had been shot the previous day at
Killingworth, near Newcastle. I was unable to determine the sex from dissection ; but I think it is most
probably a male, as the first primaries have each a spot upon their inner webs, and the first two spots are
white. I have delayed until now making this announcement j for I found on comparison that the bird
differed slightly front an Hungarian specimen in my collection, and I was consequently anxious to see
others before doing so. I have now had an opportunity o f referring to a specimen in the British Museum,
■ c i ¡j qUjfR a«rees with mv bird. I have therefore no longer any hesitation in stating that it is
rl,c C. n /M I k of authors, and I have much pleasure in adding this fine species to the British list of
occasional visitors s though I am far from believing that tins is really its first occurrence in our island. It
verv closely resembles the ('. mropaus, and is almost sure to he confounded with that species by the casual
observer. Newcastie-on-Tyne, 12th Sept. 1861.”
I concur in Mr. Hancock’s belief, that the specimen he has recorded is not the only example that has
occurred in this country, but ¿hat others have probably been overlooked from their near resemblance to the
« f Cupranulifus been a native of America (where it is never found) instead of Europe
M))[j j h;tvrK hesitated about including it in the present work ; and on this point I may quote
«e to inyself by Mr. Alfred Newton, who is preparing a new edition of the^Ute
... present have Hu« tnllv NurivSed myself whether its normal range is sufficiently far to the northward
. (jJt; step, 'fb is 1 must ascertain by consulting various Continental authorities. It certainly
**•«'* in Hungary and in the South of France, but I should like to get information o f its being met
with further north before 1 can feel quite easy on the subject.” One thing is quite certain— namely, that
«**e John Natterer killed the species in the South of Spain, and presented specimens to the Museum at
y Hllfla, as recorded by Temminck in his ‘Manual,’ and by myself in the ‘ Birds o f Europe,’ individuals in
«water o r lesser numbers have been met with in the same country by many o f the rising generation of
British ornithologists, particularly by Lord Lilford, Mr. Howard Saunders, Mr. Hume, and others.
The figure o f this bird in my ‘ Birds of Europe’ was taken from one of the original specimens presented
_ \ i . , seum of Vienna, which -was kindly lent to me for the purpose by the Directors. It was accompanied
by the following notes respecting it by my valued friend Na tte re r:—
Canrhnulffus rujicollis, male. Shot the 14th o f July, 1817, some miles distant from Algeziras, in the
. , , daylight. Iris dark brown, legs reddish grey, nostrils oval, with their borders much elevated,
, J>n_th 12 inches 8 lines extent o f the wings 22* inches, the tail exceeding the wings by I* inch.
"Another male was shot on the 20th o f July, in the valley of the Rio del Miel, near Algeziras, flying
.. , jlonr after sunset. Length 13 iuches 3 lines, extent of the wings 23* inches, the tail exceeding
shot,''while flying near the same spot, on the 21st of July. Length 12 inches 8 lines.
P . wines 22* inches the tail exceeding the wings by 2 inches. The female closely resembles the
1‘fF ‘ lv in havine less white on the th ro a t; the white tips o f the two outer tail-feathers only
• I n and tinged with brown on the outer web; the white spots on the first three primary quills
, , j , wftjj ocj)re anfj without any corresponding mark on the outer web, as in the male; the
Samala. It seems to be very r a r e ; for
r more examples.”