THE SWU'T. 137 



but to the same spot where they were reared, or where they have reared broods before. 

 Thus the swift, after roaming in other and distant kinds for some nine months, will visit 

 the identical place where it spent its sitmmer the preceding year. In order to certify 

 the truth of this, Dr. Jenner procured several sWiffSj and by taking off two claws from 

 the feet of twelve, he fixed upon them an indelible mark. The year following their 

 nesting places were examined in an evening when they had retired to roost, and there 

 he found several of the marked birds. The SfeCoild Biid third years his experiments were 

 repeated, and with the same results ; and hd less than seven years afterwards, a cat was 

 seen to bring a bird into a foi'iflet's kitcheti in the neigbbourhood, and this was proved 

 to be one of those which had beeil originally rtiarked for observation. 



It has been observed by some naturalists that swifts have great partiality for sultry 

 weather, when thunder storms fire fipptoaching, and that at such times they fly about in 

 small parties with peculiai' violence, find as they pass near steeples, and corners of 

 buildings, utter loud screams, -^vhich have been interpreted by "White, in his Natural 

 History of Sclborne, as a kind of setenade to their respective females. " This," remarks 

 Selby, is "faucifid and pretty ;" but he reasons from these data to a different conclusion, 

 considering the action and cry as the consequeliefes of irritability, occasioned by the 

 highl}- electrical state of the atmosphere at such times. 



The swift is verj' seldom, if ever, seen to alight upon the grouud, which it -n-ould find 

 great difficulty in doing, in consequence of th6 shortness ©f its legs and the length of its 

 wings ; but, by the aid of its strong toes and hooked claws, it adheres with ease against 

 the perpeudicidar face of walls or rocks. It is often, during the summer months, on the 

 wing for at least sixteen hours in the day ; and in the longest days it docs not go to 

 roost till nearly nine ci'elock, spending the last few moments before it retires with groups 

 of its race high in the air, and shooting about with wonderful Aelocity. 



The swift has a very sliort beakj triangular at the base, and the gape extending 

 beyond the eyes. The whole plimiage is black, except the chin, which has a whitish 

 tinge. The wings are verj' long, the tail is forked, and it has four toes, all placed 

 forward — in this last respect deviating from a characteristic of the swallow genus. 



