"^°'- ^^-1 UOVE, Some Southa-n Swalloivs. 2 I 



1902 J ' 



lined with feathers and grasses. This summer we have been 

 keeping under observation a pair which built under a friend's 

 verandah, and brought out their three young in December ; 

 after a few weeks' spell they built a new nest under another 

 portion of the verandah-roof, and have now, during the third 

 week in February, brought off their second brood. We are 

 curious to see whether a third nest will be constructed, as still 

 another eight weeks of fine weather may be fairly relied upon. 

 The Welcome Swallow is a very pleasing little bird in appear- 

 ance, the shining dark blue back contrasting strongly with the 

 white under surface and rust-red throat. The wings are long and 

 pointed, and the tail markedly forked. 



We will now pass to the consideration of a bird very different 

 in its demeanour and habits from our familiar gentle tree- 

 frequenting Artamus, and one which, although usually considered 

 a close relative of the Swallow, is placed in our Tasmanian list 

 quite away from it, in the Picarian order. This is the Spine- 

 tailed Swift {Chcztura caudacutd), our one representative of the 

 family Cypselidce, although occasionally one of the other 

 Swifts may make its appearance in our island. As the Spine- 

 tails breed in China and Japan, they only fly down here for a 

 few months while insects are scarce in their Asiatic haunts 

 because of winter. They are not usually seen here before 

 January, nor often after the middle of March, so that they are 

 last to come and first to go of all our summer visitors. We 

 have this year, however, a late record, which will be given in its 

 place. 



The Swift's entire holiday in the south seems to be spent on 

 the wing. We ourselves have never seen it alight, nor is there any 

 authentic record of it having done so in Australia.* This means 

 a wing power vastly in advance of any other bird found in these 

 regions. Sometimes they will come down near the ground 

 while coursing their insect prey. Early in January two were 

 noted at Flowerdale, on a cloudy warm afternoon, flying at no 

 great height above the garden, and these were the first noted 

 this summer ; a little later on several were seen at the same 

 place. Near the middle of February we were visited by a strong 

 hot north-westerly wind, during which the thermometer rose 

 very high, and clothing became a burden. In the afternoon we 

 could perceive distinctly a strong brickfield odour, caused by 

 the fine Australian dust, which was brought across the Strait by 

 this hot wind. 



On the following eve about 50 Swifts were observed high up 

 (the elevation was perhaps 400 to 500 feet), circling and poising 

 against the north-west wind. The heat of the previous day had 

 moderated, and the evening in question was fine and cool, as 

 were the succeeding ones, on which birds were again observed, 



* See " Stray Feathers," this issue, page 31. 



