THE BLACK SWIFT. 



411 



Washington. But on brighter days, and ordinarily, the passing throng 

 occupies tlie whole heavens, and a l)ird seen darling across a distant cloud 

 may in another instant descend to the lree-lii])s. Altho not quite so speedy 

 as the White-throated Swift, there is no bird wliose aerial evolutions convey 

 sucii a sense of power and unfettered freedom as do those of tliis veritable 

 sky-scraper. 



The extraordinary \oliiatorial ])owers pos.sesscd l>v tlie Cloud Swifts 

 permit a l)rea(hh of daily range umnatched in the case of any other species. 

 We suppose that the flocks which appear here and there at sea-level thruout 



r.i \i k -w 1 1 I • 



the summer nest only in tlie Cascade .Mountains: and it is easy to see that a 

 hundred mile dash before breakfast would hardly figure, in the day's work. 

 On this account, we may fairly presume that the Cloud Swifts are really less 

 numerous than might be supposed from the analogy of other birds. Per- 

 haps half a dozen roving bands would com])rise the entire po])ulation of 

 the State. .\ company nesting on C.lacier Peak might elect to spend one 

 day hawking over Gray's Harbor, and the ne.xt in the Palouse country. 

 Some such diurnal shifting does exist, for at Chelan I have seen the Swifts 

 in June passing down the valley at early morning, and returning in the 



