145 



These graceful aeronauts may be seen over almost any city or town as 

 evening draws on, beating about on long, strong wings with slow, powerful, 

 but slightly erratically timed beats. At intervals one will mount in steep 

 spirals higher and higher, and then face earthwards and come nearly 

 perpendicularly down like a falling stone. As it falls a hollow dull tremolo 

 buzz is heard. Just before the observer thinks the bird must dash to 

 the ground it catches itself and glides off safely to repeat the operation. 

 Its notes are not musical, though from the high upper air its hoarse 

 squawking voice comes down softened and harmonized by distance. 



Economic Status. Of few birds can more good or less harm be told 

 than of the Nighthawk. Its food is wholly of insects and it takes most 

 of it on the wing, high in the air where many of the insects are mating 

 and at a time when their destruction does the most good. It is a surpris- 

 ingly small bird when stripped of its thick coat of soft feathers, but requires 

 a great amount of food. A list of the species taken by it includes great 

 numbers of ants, June bugs, squash beetles, chinch bugs, leaf-hoppers, 

 and other obnoxious species. The habit, common in some places, of using 

 this bird as a live target by gunners when practicing is inexcusable and 

 those guilty of it should be rigorously prosecuted. It should be realized 

 that every offence against the laws protecting insectivorous birds is 

 something more than a technical offence against an impersonal state; 

 it is a direct blow at the welfare of the whole community. 



SUBORDER— CYPSELI. SWIFTS AND ALLIES. 



A widely spread suborder consisting of one family of which in eastern 

 Canada we have only a single species. 



FAMILY — MICROPODIDiE. SWIFTS. 



The North American Swifts are divided into two Subfamilies, only 

 one of which, the Spine-tailed Swift Chceturince, is represented in eastern 

 Canada. 



Subfamily — Chceturince. Spine-tailed Swifts. 



The Swifts are a group of birds superficially resembling swallows, but 

 structurally very different from them, the similarity being brought about 

 by common requirements and not by relationship. A description that is 

 applicable to the whole subfamily is given under the specific heading 

 following. 



423. Chimney Swift, fr. — le maktinet des chemines. Choetura pelatica. L, 

 5-43. Plate XXI B. 



Distinctions. The even, sooty-brown colour lightening on the throat and becoming 

 darker towards the vent, is almost sufficient for recognition. The projection of the shafts 

 of the tail feathers (Figure 39, p. 25) beyond the webs as sharp stiff spines is a posi tive 

 identification mark. 



Field Marks. The peculiar, long, narrow, and rather club-shaped wings, well shown 

 in the illustration; the nearly continuous quick beating; the dense dark coloration; and 

 the habit of entering chimneys, are distinctive and characteristic. 



Nesting. Originally in hollow trees or clefts in rocks, now over most of the range of 

 the Chimney Swift, in unused chimneys. The nest is a firm structure of twigs cemented 

 together with a natural glue furnished by the salivary glands. The edible nests so much 

 in demand by Chinese epicures, are composed of the cement from a closely allied Swift. 



Distribution. Eastern North America, north to the limit of cultivation. Breeds in 

 Canada wherever found. 



