INSESSORES. 105 



Crown of the head, back of the neck, and ear-coverts deep 

 shming green, strongly tinged with brown ; a small space 

 immediately before the eye deep velvety black ; band across 

 the forehead, throat, inner webs of the secondaries nearest 

 the back, a patch on the lower part of the flanks and the 

 under tail-coverts white ; wings and tail deep shining green, 

 with purple reflexions ; centre of the back greyish brown, 

 becoming darker towards the rump ; chest and abdomen 

 dark clove-brown; bill black; feet brown. 



Genus CYPSELUS, Illiger. 



Of this genus, as now restricted, many species inhabit 

 Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Indian Islands ; and one is 

 found in Australia. 



Sp. 52. CYFSELUS PACIFICUS. 



Australian Swift. 



Hirundo pacifica, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl.^ p. 58. 



Cypselus pacificus, Steph. Cont. of Shaw's Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 132. 



australis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part vii. 1839, p. 141. 



vittatus, Jard. 111. Orn., ser. 2, pi. 39. 



Micropus australis et vittata, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 165. 

 Hirundo apus, var. /3, Pall. Zoog. Ross.-Asiat., torn. i. p. 540. 



Cjrpselus Australis, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. ii. pi. 11. 



As I had never seen or heard of a true Swift in Australia, 

 I was no less surprised than gratified when I discovered this 

 species to be tolerably numerous on the Upper Hunter, during 

 my first visit to that district in 1838. Those I then observed 

 were flying high in the air, and performing immense sweeps 

 and circles, while engaged in the capture of insects. I 

 succeeded in killing six or eight individuals, among which 

 were adult examples of both sexes ; but 1 was unable to 

 obtain any particulars as to their habits and economy. It 

 would be highly interesting to know whether this bird, like 



