99 



ON THE CONNECTION OF SWIFTS WITH 

 WEATHER. 



By H. Stuart Dove, F.Z.S. 



(Read September 11th, 1911.) 



For years I have been watching the movements of the 

 'Spine-tailed Swift" (Chsetura Caudacuta), that species 

 which comes down to us from China and Japan, and, after 

 spending a few summer months here, departs again to those 

 more northern climes. While living among the mountains 

 of Northern Tasmania, it occurred to me that the appear- 

 ance of this Swift was often coincident with that of a 

 cyclonic disturbance, and this observation has been con- 

 firmed of recent years- During the summer of 19iU-li I 

 kept notes of the various appearances of this species, to- 

 gether with weather conditions of same period, and, as 

 anything which may tend to throw light upon the habits 

 of this migrant should be placed on record, x give extracts 

 from my journal, first remarking that in some seasons the 

 Spine-tails appear to visit us in very small numbers, and 

 are scarcely seen, while in other seasons, such as the 

 summer just passed, they appear so frequently and in such 

 numbers that they thrust themselves upon our attention. 



LAKES ENTRANCE, EAST GTPPSLAND, VICTORIA. 



December 8th, 1910.— A great company of Spine-tailed 

 Swifts appeared this morning for the first time this season, 

 circling and wheeling at heights varying from the tree-tops 

 to practically out of sight ; they were first noticed shortly 

 before 9 a.m., and appeared to come from E.N.E., as in the 

 case of the great company of Wood Swallows. * 



Again, near the end of the same month (December), 

 two companies of the Spine-tails were seen, before and after 

 stormy weather. 



(Aitanms tenebrosus, Lath.) 



These Wood Swallows appeared on the mornina; of 5th Sept., 1010 and 

 continued their migration towards W.S.W. (See "EMU" October, 1910).* 



G 



