Ornithology of the Gold Coast. 47 



all the towus and villages, especially in the larger ones, it 

 may be observed flying about houses and large buildings, 

 whence the nests may be seen depending in great numbers. 

 The castle of St. George d^Elmina is in many parts covered 

 with these nests ; and the birds are so familiar as to fly about 

 the rooms and galleries with the utmost confidence. In the 

 open they are generally associated vi'iih. Hir undo jmelladiuA Cyp- 

 selus parvus, but the present species usually by far outnumbers 

 the others. Their flight is rapid and graceful, but not so 

 sharp as that of the English Swift (C. apus). They occa- 

 sionally soar in large flocks to a great height, but more fre- 

 quently hawk at a moderate distance above the ground. I 

 am not aware of the exact number of eggs always laid by 

 them ; but the nests I had brought to me contained only a 

 couple. 



18. Cypselus parvus, Licht. : Sharpe, /. c. p. 2. 



These Swifts are plentiful in the vicinity of Cape Coast and 

 Accra. On Connor's Hill, near the former town, they are 

 always to be observed in considerable numbers in company 

 with other Swifts and Swallows, such as C affinis, and at 

 certain seasons of the year with Hirundo puella and H. rustica. 

 This species appears to be fond of frequenting one or two 

 Fan Palm-trees on Connor's Hill ; and I have not observed, it 

 to settle on houses, although it makes its appearance in and 

 about the town. It flies with great rapidity, and is very quick 

 and eccentric in its movements. 



19. Centura ussheri, Sharpe, I. c. p. 2. 



This Swift was first observed by Captain Haynes and my- 

 self in Fort Victoria, a small fort in the vicinity of Cape 

 Coast, whither we had gone one evening to try and kill an 

 Hyaena, several of which had been reported in the neighbour- 

 hood. Whilst we were sitting at night in the solitary little 

 room of the fort or redoubt, four of these Swifts flew in, and 

 we were fortunate enough to secure them all. This happened 

 in July 1870; and I never again observed the bird until the 

 month of May in the year following, when an officer of the 

 detachment stationed in the Castle shot one up there one after- 



