THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 259 



The black swift seems most abundant in the Dominican Eepublic 

 in the vicinity of La Vega where Cory secured a number of specimens 

 from July 25 to August 8, 1883. He says that he did not meet with it 

 elsewhere. Christy also observed it near La Vega and relates that in 

 wet weather he found it gathered in vast flocks just outside the town. 

 Verrill reported it from Samana. Abbott secured two males and a 

 female at Hondo, below Constanza, May 8 and 9, 1919, and two 

 females near El Rio on May 14 of the same year. He did not pro- 

 cure it elsewhere. 



Wetmore, in 1927, found a dozen at Las Alcarrizos May 4, one on 

 the lower Yuna near Sanchez May 10, one at Villa Riva May 16, 

 many near La Vega, May 17 and 30, two at El Rio May 18, others at 

 the same point May 30, several at Constanza from May 18 to 28, and 

 several near Santiago May 30. He secured specimens near Con- 

 stanza May 18. He observed that they were easily told at a glance 

 from the chimney SAvift by the tail which in the black swift appears 

 longer and distinctly broader at the end, and in addition seems dis- 

 tinctly flexible and is often expanded and twisted from side to side 

 as the birds turn in the air. The birds appear very black with long 

 wings. The flight is very rapid, and is accomplished generally with 

 less wing motion than in the chimney swift. Near Constanza black 

 swifts were rather local in occurrence and frequented certain parts 

 of the valley almost to the exclusion of others. One morning when 

 fog lay heavy along the hills on all sides but the sky above the town 

 was clear, swifts circled overhead in the open air until the sun came 

 through the mist when they disappeared. Black swifts seem very 

 silent and only twice were loud chirping calls heard that apparently 

 emanated from these birds though this was not wholly certain. West 

 of La Vega on May 30 black swifts were observed in abundance in 

 flocks of fifteen or twenty circling swiftly among the royal palms. 



In California a closely related form places its nests on rocks be- 

 neath waterfalls or in dark crevices among the rocks of precipices, 

 but it is possible from their apparent abundance at La Vega that 

 here the black swifts locate their nests in some other manner. 



In the summer of 1927 Danforth found them at Santo Domingo 

 City in June and July, Bonao in July and August, San Juan July 

 10 and 11, and at Haina and La Vega in June. Ciferri obtained them 

 at Bonao May 8 and September 1, 1927, and at Sabana San Thome, 

 near San Juan, May 5, 1929. 



Curiously enough there are very few records for this bird in Haiti. 

 Brisson in 1760 describes a specimen sent to de Reaumur from 

 Chervain from " S. Domingue ", possibly from Haiti. Vieillot in 

 1807 says that this species is found in dry, arid sections but gives no 

 definite localities. His statement that " elle se perche souvent sur les 



