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BIRDS OF AMERICA 



webs of the feathers passing into grayish-brown toward 

 edges; loral region, blackish, the feathers along project- 

 ing edges of forehead and crown (especially the portion 

 over the eye), narrowly (sometimes very indistinctly 

 or obsoletely) margined with whitish; remainder of the 

 sides of head, the sides of the neck, and under parts, 

 plain grayish-brown fading into a much paler tint on 

 throat, chin, and cheeks ; iris, brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: Inside a chimney; of small 

 twigs glued together with a gelatinous fluid secreted 



by the salivary glands, forming a semi-circular wall 

 pocket. Eggs ; 4 to 6, pure white. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America ; north to 

 New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Province of Quebec, 

 southern Labrador, northern Ontario, Manitoba, and 

 Alberta, accidentally to southern Greenland ; west to 

 western border of Great Plains and (accidentally?) 

 New Me.xico; breeding southward to southern Florida 

 and thence westward along Gulf coast to southeastern 

 Texas ; occasional straggler to the Bermudas. 



If it is proper to speak of the Chickadee as 

 the " small-boy bird of the woods," it seems 

 appropriate to characterize the Chimney Swift 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



CHIMNEY SWIFT (J nat. size) 



A bird who is never at rest except when he 

 is at home 



as the " small-boy bird of the air." All of the 

 Swallows, and especially the Barn Swallow, seem 

 to frolic a good deal on the wing, but their near 

 relative, the Swift, is even more sportive. It is 

 not uncommon to see two of them engaged in 

 what appears to be a contest of speed, and skill 

 in dodging, very like the small-boy's game of 

 tag, keeping up meanwhile their very rapid chi]i- 

 ping note, which may be their equivalent of 

 laughter. 



The Swift is very rapid and adroit on the 

 wing, but is not so graceful a flyer as the Barn 

 Swallow. However, it apparently has the more 

 endurance of the two, for it is never seen to 

 alight, and undoubtedly is steadily on the wing 

 from the time it leaves its chimnev-nest until it 

 returns. Very likely this period of unceasing 



and rapid flight often lasts for an hour or two, 

 and all of the bird's food is captured and eaten 

 — except such as it takes to its young — while 

 it is on the wing. 



Like the Barn and Eave Swallows, the Swift's 

 nesting habits have been changed by its coming 

 into contact with man and his works. Originally 

 the bird's nesting place was in a hollow tree. " I 

 well remember the time," wrote Audubon, "when 

 in lower Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois many 

 resorted to excavated branches and trunks for 

 the purpose of breeding; nay, so strong is the 

 influence of original habit that not a few still 

 [about 1808] betake themselves to such places, 

 not only to roost, but also to breed. ... In such 

 instances they appear to be as nice in the choice 

 of a tree as they generally are in our cities in 

 the choice of a chimney wherein to roost. Syca- 

 mores of a gigantic growth, and having a mere 

 .shell of bark and wood to support them, seem 



Photo by H. K. Job 



rtcsy of Outing Pub. Co. 



YOUNG CHIMNEY SWIFTS 

 Clinging to the wall like bats 



to suit them best ; and wherever I have met with 

 one of these patriarchs of the forest rendered 

 habitable bv decav, there I have found the Swal- 



