_J. Gould and H. C. Richter, del^t_ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
EUROSTOPODUS ALBOGULARIS.
White-throated Goat-sucker.
_Caprimulgus albogularis_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv.
p. 194, note.
—— _mystacalis_, Temm. Pl. Col. 410.
During my 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 of 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 of its eye, which
is so large and full that its powers of vision must be very great. Most
of 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 of those of _Caprimulgus_, and not of those
of _Podargus_ and _Ægotheles_.
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 of the head and at the occiput with a large patch
of black down the centre; behind the ear-coverts a patch of 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 grey; 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 of white on its inner and outer web about the centre
of the feather, the fourth with a large white spot on its outer web; two
centre and outer webs of the remaining tail-feathers dark brown, marbled
with irregular bars of grey; the inner webs of 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 with dull buff and grey; abdomen and under tail-coverts
bright fulvous, crossed with bars of dark brown; irides dark brown; feet
mealy reddish brown.
The Plate represents a female of the natural size.
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