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CA PRIMULGUS RUFICOLLI Ss, Temm.
Red-necked Goatsucker.

Caprimulgus ruficollis, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 2nd edit., p. 438.

rufitorquis, Bonn. et Vieill. Ency. Méth., Orn., part 11. p. 546.
————— rufitorquatus, Vieill. Faun. Frang., tom. i. p. 142.
————— torquatus, Brehm.

 

An undoubted specimen of this fine Nightjar having been killed in England, it becomes necessary to give it
a place among the Birds of Great Britain. With reference to its occurrence in this country I cannot,
perhaps, do better than quote the brief account of it published by Mr. John Hancock in ‘ The Ibis’ for
1862, p. 39:—*‘So far back as the 6th of October, 1856, I obtained a fresh-killed specimen of this rare
European Goatsucker, of 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; for I found on comparison that the bird
differed slightly from an Hungarian specimen in my collection, and I was consequently anxious to see
others before doing so. I have now had an opportunity of referring to a specimen in the British Museum,
and find that it quite agrees with my bird. Ihave therefore no longer any hesitation in stating that it is
the C. ruficollis of authors, and I have much pleasure in adding this fine species to the British list of
occasional visitors; though I am far from believing that this is really its first occurrence in our island. It
very closely resembles the C. ewropeus, and is almost sure to be confounded with that species by the casual
observer. Newcastle-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 that others have probably been overlooked from their near resemblance to the
common species.

Had this species of Caprimuigus been a native of America (where it is never found) instead of Europe
and Africa, I should have hesitated about including it in the present work ; and on this point I may quote
some remarks in a note to myself by Mr. Alfred Newton, who is preparing a new edition of the late
Mr. Yarrell’s ‘ History of British Birds’ :—“J have been thinking about including the Caprimulgus ruficoliis,
but at present have not fully satisfied myself whether its normal range is sufficiently far to the northward
to justify the step. This I must ascertain by consulting various Continental authorities. It certainly
occurs in Hungary and in the South of France, but I should like to get information of its being met
with further north before I can feel quite easy on the subject.” One thing is quite certain—namely, that
since John Natterer killed the species in the South of Spain, and presented specimens to the Museum at
Vienna, as recorded by Temminck in his ‘Manual,’ and by myself in the ‘ Birds of Europe,’ individuals in
greater or lesser numbers have been met with in the same country by many of the rising generation of
British ornithologists, particularly by Lord Lilford, Mr. Howard Saunders, Mr. Hume, and others.

The figure of this bird in my ‘Birds of Europe’ was taken from one of the original specimens presented
to the Museum of Vienna, which was kindly lent to me for the purpose by the Directors. It was accom-
panied by the following notes respecting it by my valued friend Natterer :—

“* Caprimulgus ruficollis, male. Shot the 14th of July, 1817, some miles distant from Algeziras, in the
oak woods, by daylight. Iris dark brown, legs reddish grey, nostrils oval, with their borders much elevated.
Length 12 inches 8 lines, extent of the wings 223 inches, the tail exceeding the wings by 14 inch.

‘Another male was shot on the 20th of July, in the valley of the Rio del Miel, near Algeziras, flying
very low, an hour after sunset. Length 13 inches 3 lines, extent of the wings 23¢ inches, the tail exceeding
the wings by 1 inch 8 lines.

“The female I shot, while flying near the same spot, on the 2Ist of July. Length 12 inches 8 lines,
extent of the wings 222 inches, the tail exceeding the wings by 2 inches. ‘The female closely resembles the
male, differing only in having less white on the throat; the white tips of the two outer tail-feathers only
8 lines long, and tinged with brown on the outer web; the white spots on the first three primary quills
smaller, and tinged with ochre, and without any corresponding mark on the outer web, as in the male; the
remainder of the plumage is exactly the same as that of the male.

«The name of the bird in the part of Spain where it was killed is Samala. It seems to be very rare; for
I passed several nights in the adjacent woods without discovering any more examples.”

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