DUSKY, GRAY, AND SLATE-COLORED 317 
424. VAUX SWIFT. — Chetura vauzii. 
Famity: The Swifts. 
Length : 4.15-4.50. 
Adults: Upper parts dusky brown, lighter on rump; under parts gray, 
merging to whitish on throat ; tail spined. 
Geographical Distribution: Pacitic coast region, from British Columbia 
to Mexico; east casually to Montana and Arizona. Migrates to Cen- 
tral America. 
California Breeding Range: From the Santa Cruz mountains northward 
through humid coast belt. 
Breeding Season ; May and June. 
Nest: Of small twigs glued together in the shape of a half saucer, and 
fastened to the inside walls of hollow trees. 
Eggs: 3to 5; white. Size 0.72 < 0.50. 
THE Vaux Swift, while not very abundant anywhere 
in California, is found as a migrant in all parts of the 
State, and breeds in suitable localities from Santa Cruz 
northward. Ina hollow cottonwood tree near the river, 
and a short distance from the town of Santa Cruz, a 
colony of several pairs of these small Swifts nest every 
year. On the fifteenth of June three of the nests con- 
tained eggs, and the others were empty but would 
doubtless be used later. Early every morning, four to 
five o’clock, the adults could be seen skimming over the 
river quite near the surface, every now and then darting 
down as if to sip, and instantly rising again. One that 
we found on the ground, apparently injured, had very 
large liquid eyes like the chimney swift and was most 
appealingly confiding. It was either too stunned or too 
courageous to be afraid, for it rested contentedly in my 
