101 



ORDER PICARI^. 



FAMILY CYPSELID.E.— GEXUS CYPSELUS. 



SWIFT. 



Cypselus apus (Linnieus). 



Local Names — Loiu/tciiuj, lU:c'dut<i, Dcril-sci-eanu'r, 

 Devil-squeaJcer, DevU-skirlcr, Black Martin. 



A common summer visitor, appearing early in May, 

 and leaving throughout August. The first departures 

 take place in the beginning of the latter month, and 

 birds are seldom seen after it is out, though Blackwall 

 {Mem. Manchester Lit. and Phil. Soc, 1824) mentions 

 an instance in 1815, when he saw a Swift on the 

 20th of October. It is generally distributed in all 

 localities, mostly in small numbers only, and those 

 decreasing ; but this I believe to be simply from want 

 of suitable nesting-holes. It is much attached to 

 ancient breeding-places, and in Clitheroe, where the 

 species is very numerous, the same holes have been 

 tenanted for very many years ; some of them being in 

 the roofs of mere cottages, and less than eighteen feet 

 from the ground. In entering a new locality, however, 

 only the loftiest buildings are chosen, and House- 

 Sparrow and Starling are turned out without ceremony, 

 and their nests appropriated ; these being covered, after 

 the occupancy of the Swifts has continued a while, by a 

 sort of viscous matter which I presume exudes from their 

 mouths. Mr. E. Standen says that near Longridge 



