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90 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
gale, and riding out a short but dangerous sea which set in and 
raised a surf on the shore, through which it was impossible to land, 
the male birds came off in flocks of about fifteen, and flew over the 
surface of the water. On no other occasion have I seen them take 
wing of their own accord, or keep on the wing during the day.” 
Mr. Andersson remarks :—“This bird, when seen on the wing at 
dusk, presents a most singular appearance, giving the idea of a 
large double-winged bat.” 
We are convinced that the bird recently described by the editor 
as Macrodipteryx sperlingi, the type of which was obtained at sea in 
the Bay of Malimba by the late Commander Sperling, is only the 
female of OC. vewillarius. A specimen agreeing in every particular 
with the type was shot by the late Mr. Andersson at Otjimbinque on 
the 13th of October, 1859, the very day on which he procured the 
male Oosmetornis mentioned above, so there can be but little doubt 
that our surmise is correct. 
The male in full breeding plumage is an unmistakeable bird, being 
easily recognized by its long streaming quill-feathers, which reach 
out far behind the bird’s body. The female can be told by the 
broad rufous bars, six in number, on the under surface of the quills, 
and by her broad rufous neck-collar: she has no long streamers, and 
looks like an ordinary Caprimulgus at first sight. 
Fig. Gould, Icones Avium, ii, pl. 3. 
Fam. CYPSELIDZ. 
86. CypsELus arus. Common Swift. 
Cypselus barbatus, Gurney in Anderss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 47. 
The supposition that the Swift of South Africa constitutes a dif- 
ferent species from the ordinary Swift of Europe, does not seem to 
us to be founded on fact, and we believe that when C. apus leaves 
Europe, its makes South Africa its winter home. It is extremely 
abundant about Cape Town during the South African summer, dis- 
appearing about the middle of April. Mr. Atmore however says 
this species sometimes remains with us all the year and did so at 
George in 1870. Mr. L. Layard also used to declare that he saw it 
all the year round at Swellendam, not every day, but frequently, at 
