HIRUNDINID^. i8i 



a bare twig, near a wasp's nest, whence it flew down 

 and seized any insect which approached or left the 

 nest. The bird was at last shot, having wandered 

 from the neighbourhood of its kind protector.' 



Family — HlRUNDlNlD^. 



Alpine Swift {Cypselus alpimis). But few ex- 

 amples of this rare Swift have been observed or 

 taken in this country, and I am fortunate, therefore, 

 in being able to include the species in the present 

 catalogue. 



I am informed by Mr. J. E. Harting, who has seen 

 the bird, that in the month of August, 1841, a speci- 

 men of the White-bellied Swift was shot near Read- 

 ing, Berks, and was obtained by his friend Mr. Bond, 

 in whose collection it is still preserved. This was 

 in all probability the same bird which had been 

 observed the previous day sporting with a number of 

 the Common Swifts over the reservoir at Kingsbury, 

 Middlesex. 



