414 THE VAUX SW'IIT. 



the bird's saliva ami similarly ci-mi'iitcd to the wcxxl inside of a hollow tree. 

 Eygs: 4-6. pun- white. Av. size. .77 x .50 (19.6x12.7). Season: June; one 

 brood. 



General Range. — I'acitic Coast States and British Columbia, breeding thru- 

 out its raii),'c : Plinth in winter to Central .America. 



Range in Washington. ^.\ot common summer resident in timbered sections 

 and in moinitain valleys; locally distriiuited. 



Migrations. — Spriiuj: Ulaine. May S. n^os. /"(»//. Seattle. September 20, 



•907- 



Authorities. — C\f<sclus vouxi To\%nsend, "Narrative," iSv>, .S4*^- T- C&S. 

 kh. D'. Ra. I)--. I'.. E. 



Specimens. — I'rov. C. 1"'.. 



'■TI11{ way of any bird in the air c<pninian(is interest, but the way of the 

 Swift provokes Ixith admiration and astonishment. With \olitatr»rial |)Owers 

 which are unc(|iiak'(l by any oilier land bird, this avian missile goes liurtling 

 acro.ss the sky without injury, or else minces along slowly with pretemled 

 difficulty. Now it wadilles to and fro in strange zigzags. [>icking u|) a gnat at 

 every angle, and again it "lights out" with sudden access of energy and alter- 

 nate wing strokes, intent on hawking in heaven's ujjper story. \X favorite 

 seasons the birds cross and rccross each other's jjaths in lawless mazes and fill 

 the air with their strident creakings. wliile here ami there couples and even 

 trios sail alxmt in great stiff curves with wings held aloft. It is the only 

 op|iortunity alTorded for jiersonal attentions, and it is probable that the sexes 

 have no further ac<|uaintance exccjU as they pass and repass in ministering 

 to the young. 



"In nesting the Chimney "Sweeps' seek out the smaller chimneys of 

 dwelling houses, and usually only one pair occupies a single shaft. Short 

 twigs are seized and snapped off by the bird's beak in midflight. and these, 

 after being rolled aliout in the copious saliva, are made fast to the bricks, a 

 neat aiul homogeneous bmcket being thus formed. This will be sufiicient to 

 supiKirt the half dozen crystal white eggs and the hissing s<|uabs which follow, 

 imless a premature fire or a long-contiinK'<l rain dissolves the glue ;ind tmnliles 

 the fabric into the grate. 



"Sitting birds, when discovered, oftenest drop below the nest and 

 hide, clinging easily with the tiny feet supiK>rted by the spiny tail. The 

 male bird .seldom pays any attention unless there are young, in which 

 case he even brushes past the intruder and enters the nest in his eager- 

 ness to share the hour of danger. The young are rather slow in develop- 

 ment and it requires, according to Mr. Otto Widmann, two months to rear 

 a familv of them. Usually only one brood is raised, but a second nesting 



