108 THE SWIFT. 



bottom being about five inches in diameter, and the middle about three inches. The material 

 of which it is built is dog's-bane, and the young are defended from the air by a quantity of 

 the soft, woolly down that grows on that plant, and it is pressed into the cavity so as to form 

 a sort of plug. The nest is usually made within houses, after the common fashion of many 

 swallows. 



DEVOID of all pretensions to the brilliantly-tinted plumage which decorates so many of its 

 relations, and clad only in sober black and gray, the SWIFT is, nevertheless, one of the most 

 pleasing and interesting birds ; resting its claims to favorable notice upon its graceful form, 

 and its unrivalled powers of wing. 



There are very few birds which are so essentially inhabitants of air as the common Swift, 

 which cuts the atmosphere with its sabre-like wings with such marvellous ease and rapidity, 

 that at times its form is hardly discernible as it shoots along, and it leaves the impression of 

 a dark black streak upon the eyes of the observer. The plumage of this bird is constructed 

 especially with a view to securing great spread, as may be seen by an inspection of the closely 

 set and firmly webbed feathers with which the entire body and limbs are clad. The muscles 

 which move the wings are enormously developed, and in consequence the breast-bone is fur- 

 nished with a remarkably strong and deep "keel." 



The flight of the Swift is quite peculiar to the bird, and cannot be mistaken even for that of 

 the swallow by any one who has a practical acquaintance with the habits of the two species. 

 The Swift does not flap its wings so often as the swallow, and has a curious mode of shooting 

 through the air as if hurled from some invisible bow, and guiding itself in its headlong course 

 by means of its wings and tail. While flying, the Swift makes very great use of its tail, a 

 habit which has been admirably described by Mr. Thompson : 



"It was highly interesting to watch their motions as they flew noiselessly a few yards 

 above my head. The tail would at one moment be drawn to a point, the root appear square at 

 the end ; would then present a 'tender fork,' and the root its full formation ; again, it would 

 be expanded to the uttermost, with the feathers simply touching at their margins, and the 

 whole tail appearing so membraneous, that the light shone through it ; lastly, it would be 

 thrown into the form of an arch, which had a singular effect, and generally, when thus exhibited, 

 the whole body was like a well-strung bow, an appearance which was several times observed 

 with very high interest. Within a few seconds of time all these appearances were assumed by 

 the same bird." 



After making some further remarks on the subject, the same writer proceeds to observe 

 that a similar habit is also found in the common swallow, as seen by himself when looking 

 down upon the birds from the summit of a hill. "The swallows, as they gently floated on the 

 bosom of the air a few yards beneath, exhibited the tail expanded to such a degree, that the 

 beautiful white portion towards its base was quite conspicuous ; presenting in this respect so 

 great a difference from its ordinary appearance, that I did not feel certain at the moment 

 of their being our own common bird." 



There are few hours of the day when this ever active bird may not be seen on the wing, 

 employed either in sport with its companions, or in pursuit of the insects on which it feeds, and 

 of which it carries such numbers to its young. Several authors have said that the Swift prefers 

 the morning and evening for its aerial evolutions, remaining quietly in the dusky recesses where 

 it has built its nest during the fierce heat of the summer's noon. The bird is also reported to 

 retire to the same retreat while rain falls and wind blows, and to rest at home until the weather 

 changes for the better. As far as my own personal observations go, both these assertions 

 are too sweeping, if not entirely erroneous. The Swift has a special love for the bright heat 

 of a July noon, but it must be sought, not near its usual haunts, but far up in the sky, where 

 it may be seen like a little black mote against the blue heavens, and hardly visible except 

 to experienced observers. 



As to the alleged habit of keeping under cover during a storm, it has been decidedly con- 

 tradicted by Mr. Thompson, who has observed the Swifts engaged in the pursuit of their prey 

 during stormy as well as in fine weather. I am able to contradict this assertion from the 



