8 3 . C apbimulgus n a t a l en s is . Natal Nightjar.
This small species was discovered by Sir Andrew Smith near
Port Natal, and seems to be confined to that country, as, although
recorded by Dr. Kirk from the Zambesi, we find that his specimens
really belong to G. mossambicus.
I t not unfrequently occurs in Natal collections. Mr. Ayres writes
concerning i t :—“ The stomach was full of large and hard beetles
swallowed whole. These birds roost on the ground among the grass;
if disturbed, they fly a short distance and alight again; they feed
only at night, and are fond of frequenting roads or any other bare
grounds; they rise from the ground, and catch any beetle that
passes, immediately alighting again. The flight of this Goatsucker
is noiseless; its note is extremely liquid and mellow; it builds its
nest in the grass and lays two white eggs.” Mr. E. 0. Buxton when
travelling in Natal met with this bird just beyond the Bombo mountains.
The Natal Nightjar is a small species, and may be distinguished
by its having the terminal half of the outer tail-feather pure white,
extending nearly to the base of the outer web. The male has four
white spots on the primaries, which are otherwise uniform ; in the
female these spots are sandy buff, and near the base is a second large
sandy coloured b a r: the outer tail-feather also is brown barred with
dull sandy. The coloration of this Nightjar is different from any
other species known from South Africa, being a mixture of yellowish
buff and black, the latter forming large spade-shaped spots on the
scapulars. Total length, 8'5 inches ; wing, 6'3.
Fig. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Air., Aves, pi. 99.
84. C a pb im u lg us mossambicus. Mozambique Nightjar.
Two specimens of this bird were procured by Dr. Kirk at Tete
during the Zambesi expedition, and these are all that we have seen
from South Africa. I t is probably the species identified by Dr.
Kirk (Ibis, 1864, p. 31) as 0. natalensis, “ obtained in the plains
near the sea-coast;” as his Zambesi collection contains no specimen
of the Natal Nightjar.
This species, as well as its near ally C.fossi, may be distinguished
from the other African Goatsuckers by the outer web of the last tail-
feather being white for its whole extent, the white tip to the inner
web being small: the secondaries all broadly tipped with white: five
primaries spotted with white. Total length, 10 inches ; wing, 6'4.
Fig. Einsch and Hartlaub, Vog. Ost.-Afr., taf. 1.
85. C osm etorn is v ex il la e iu s . Standard-winged Nightjar.
This remarkable Nightjar has not yet occurred in the Gape Colony,
but is found a little further to the northward in Damara Land and
across to the Zambesi. Mr. Andersson says :—“ I only observed
this singular Nightjar in the large forests about one degree south of
the river Okavango. I never saw many of them, and the few that
were observed were all found within from twenty to one hundred
yards of each other.” In the British Museum is a specimen procured
by Mr. Andersson at Elephant Yley on the 13th of October,
1859, being the example mentioned by Mr. Gurney as formerly in
the editor's private collection (cf. Gurney in Anderss. B. Dam. Ld.
p. 46). Senor Anchieta has procured it at Biballa in the Mossa-
medes district of Angola, where he says it bears the native name of
Pumbamba, Dr. Kirk writes:—“ The Cosmetornis was first observed
about 300 miles up the Zambesi, a little above Tete, on the Kebrabassa
Rapids in November, 1858, and was there decidedly common. It
was again met with on the western side of Lake Nyassa (lat. 12° to
13° S.) where, in September and October, it was very common, being
seen in flocks of from fifteen to twenty. It was also common at
Chibisa on the Shire in lat. 16° S. It was only during the months
from October until January that the singular prolongations of the
■wing-feathers were observed. These are peculiar to the males. Like
other Nightjars the habits of the Cosmetornis are crepuscular. It
catches insects on the wing, and frequents bushy lands and the
vicinity of water. When started during the day-time from the
ground where they always rest, they fly swiftly to a little distance,
and again settle, but are extremely difficult to follow with the eye.
Not so the males when in full plumage; in their case there is no
difficulty; their flight is evidently retarded, and they become prominent
objects from the long streamers waving behind them. A
deviation from the usual habits of this bird was observed when
cruising op the Nyassa. On two occasions being overtaken in a