260 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



branches seches " throws some doubt on his observations, as in this 

 he has unquestionably confused them with some swallow. Bartsch 

 has recorded them April 16, 1917, as seen about five miles west of 

 Jeremie, and Dr. C. H. Arndt told Wetmore of great numbers of 

 swifts seen in the month of January beyond Jeremie that may have 

 been this species. Bond saw them at 1800 meters elevation on Morne 

 La Selle, and on Morne Tranchant, and recorded three on one occasion 

 at Port-au-Prince. 



Following are measurements of a small series : 



Males, two specimens, wing 150.4-151.7 (151.1), tail 58.7-64.4 

 (61.6), culmen from base 6.5-7.0 (6.8), tarsus 12.4-12.7 (12.6) mm. 



Females, five specimens, wing 147.1-151.6 (148.3), tail 53.8-59.0 

 (56.8), culmen from base 5.4-6.3 (5.9), tarsus 11.0-12.5 (12.0) mm. 



The black swift is as large as a medium sized swallow, and is 

 sooty black in color throughout, lighter on the under surface, with 

 black markings about the eye and a grayish edging on the feathers of 

 the forehead and in front of the eye. Their difference from the 

 chimney swift in appearance in life has been described. In the hand 

 it is found that the tail feathers of the black swift are soft at the 

 tip while in the chimney swifts the shafts of the feathers project 

 beyond the web as little spines. 



CHAETURA PELAGICA (Linnaeus) 

 CHIMNEY SWIFT 



Hirundo pelagica Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 192 (Carolina). 



Hirundo Pclasgia, Vieillot, Ois. Am6r. Sept., vol. 1, 1807, p. 63 ("Saint- 

 Domingue "). 



Chaetura pelagica, Babtsch, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 30, July 27, 

 1917, p. 132 (Haiti). 



Found in passage during migration; abundance uncertain. 



The chimney swift, a common bird in eastern North America, 

 known to the early colonists as a species that nested in hollow trees, 

 with the advent of Caucasian civilization took up its summer abode 

 in chimneys and so became familiar about the homes of man. Each 

 autumn it gathered in flocks for the southward migration and was 

 traced in passage to Florida and the gulf coast of the United States 

 and there disappeared. The credulous held firmly to the belief that 

 during winter the birds went into a state of suspended animation in 

 caves or hollow trees or submerged in the mud of marshes and ponds 

 there to spend the winter months in hibernation. The more scientific, 

 realizing that hibernation was unknown in birds, looked for these 

 swifts in some winter home to the southward but for many years in 

 vain. 



