148 



BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



IRceMCs^tailct) Swift. 



The Needle-tailed Swift {Chcetura caudacufa, Latham) is an 

 exceedingly rare abnormal autumn migrant to the British 

 Isles, and is found inhabiting Eastern Siberia, China, and 

 the Himalayas. It occurs during winter in Australia. 

 The forehead of the adult is dull white ; crown, nape, 

 back, and sides of head, dusky black; wing-coverts and 

 secondaries, bottle-green ; inner webs of inner secondaries, 

 mostly white ; quills, blackish ; tail-feathers, bottle-green, 

 with projecting spinous shafts; throat, breast, and under 

 tail-coverts, white ; abdomen, sooty brown ; flanks, white, 

 marked with glossy blue-black ; bill, black ; legs and feet, 

 dark brown. Length, about eight inches. 



