THE VAUX SWIFT. 413 



inaccessible, being fully 300 feet high and almost perpendicular: and wiilinui 

 suitable ropes to lower one from above it was both useless and imiiraciicable 

 to make an attempt to reach the nests. These were evidently placed well 

 back in the fissures, as Udthing bearing a resemblance to one was x'isible 

 from either above or belnw. In this locality 1 beliex'e fresh eggs niay be 

 looked for alumt June _'5." 



I had word of ilu- nesting of these birds in the summer of 1906 upon 

 a majestic mck wall overlooking the Sahale Glacier in the Upi)er Horseshoe 

 Basin of Chelan County, but a visit paid to this scene the following season 

 failed to discover either nests or birds, altho local miners were ready to 

 confirm the report of their presence the j^revious season. Dr. Edward Hasell, 

 of \'ictoria, informs me that they have nested about a certain cliff overlooking 

 Cowichan Lake on \'ancouver Island. The cliff referred to is about 1,600 

 feet high, and access was. therefore, out of the cjuestion. ]\Ir. W. II. Wright, 

 the well-known nature student and guide, of Si)okane, tells me tlial he once 

 saw these birds nesting among some cliff's called "The Chimneys." which 

 are five or six miles distant from Priest, Idaho. He saw the Switls carrying 

 twigs to the cliffs, but did not take further notice of their actions. lie 

 xisited The Chimneys at the s;une time of year on each of two succeeding 

 seasons, but saw nothing of the Swifts. From these reports, and from the 

 fact that the country referred to by ReiKlire has been ransacked in \ain. 1 

 conclude that the Black Swifts are continually shifting the scene of Iheir 

 annual nestings, being, in fact, as erratic in this regard as they are in the 

 matter of their local apjiearances at the lower levels. 



No. 160. 



VAUX'S SWIFT. 



A. O. U. Xo. 424. Chaetura vauxi (Townseiid). 



Description. — .Idiilts: .\l)Ove, .sooty brown, lightening, nearly hair-Iirown, 

 on rump and ui)])er tail-coverts; below, light sooty gray, lightening, nearly white, 

 on chin and throat: lores velvety black; shafts of tail-feathers denuded at tips 

 a third of an inch. Length about 4.50 (114.3) ; wing 4.50 (114.3) '• tail 1.59 (40). 



Recognition Marks. — ^Strictly "iwgmy size," but com[)arison misleading — 

 to ai)pcarance, swallow size : rapid erratic flight and bow-and-arrow-sliaped 

 position in flight distinctive, .\ltho this species is only half the size of the 

 preceding, careful discrimination is necessary while the birds are a-wing. 



Nesting. — Xcst: a shallow half-saucer of short twigs, glued together with 



