CYPSELUS MURARIUS. 217 



have two, for it is about the end of July before the young are 

 able to provide for themselves. They leave us — young and old 

 — by the 20th of August (about the time the swallows and 

 martins bring out their second brood. I have seen swifts after 

 the 20th, but very few. For instance, I was anxious to know 

 on the 22nd, 1892, if they were all away, so went to the old 

 castle (their chief stronghold), and after waiting a while saw 

 only one, hawking for flies. It flew into its nest and remained 

 four minutes (probably to let its late young pick the flies out 

 of its mouth), then off again for more. This corroborates 

 White of Selborne's close observation, who says: — 



"Our swifts, in general, withdrew this year (1781) about the 1st of 

 August — all save one pair, which in two or three days was reduced to a 

 single bird. The perseverance of this individual made me suspect that the 

 strongest of motives — that of an attachment to her young— could alone 

 occasion so late a stay. I watched, therefore, till the 24-th of August, and 

 then discovered that, under the eaves of the church, she attended upon two 

 young, which were fledged, and now put out their white chins from a 

 crevice. These remained till the 27th, looking more alert every day, and 

 seeming to long to be on the wing. After this they were missing at once ; 

 nor could I ever observe them with their dam coursing round the church 

 learning to fly, as the first broods evidently do. On the 31st I caused the 

 eaves to be searched, but we found in the nest only two callow, dead, 

 stinking swifts, on which a second nest had been formed. 



The following remarks on this unusual incident are obvious. The first 

 is, that though it may be disagreeable to swifts to remain beyond the 

 beginning of August, yet that they can do so is undeniable. The second 

 is, that this uncommon event — as it was owing to the loss of the first brood 

 —corroborates my former remark, that swifts breed regularly but once, 

 since the contrary was the case, the occurrence above could neither be new 

 nor rare." 



By the middle of August — their domestic duty of multiply- 

 ing their species done — they leave us for sunnier climes — down 

 by the Nile to the Cape of Good Hope — even in the middle of 

 our warmest weather, residing with us only 3J months in the 

 year ; as brief a time as our many human summer visitors, jjwho, 

 also like the swifts, annually visit the grey old city, not to 

 catch flies, but to play at golf, or wander along its extensive 

 shell-strewn sands — east and west — or along the bonnie fern- 

 covered braes of Kinkell. 



Swifts do not assemble in clusters (like the swallows) before 

 leaving, but slip away unseen, and they are never missed by 

 me without the regretful feeling which follows the loss of a 

 friend. 



