Birds of Oregon and Washington 159 



Found flying high over woods or houses, and nesting 

 in hollow trees. 



No one will ever see this bird except on the 

 wing, unless he handles a dead one or sometimes 

 does as Audubon once did at night, that is, visit 

 some tree which has been prepared for investi- 

 gation, and with a light look up to the crowded 

 tenement of these bat-like creatures above. 

 Audubon found, by count, nine thousand of the 

 eastern species in one tree. 



The eastern variety of the Swift is very like 

 Vaux's, and is popularly known as the " Chim- 

 ney Swallow," because there these birds take 

 possession of chimneys unused in summer time 

 and proceed to glue their nests against the sides 

 of the chimney flues. The nests are made of 

 twigs snapped off trees while the birds are on 

 the wing. In the fireplace-rooms below, the 

 fluttering and twittering of these happy crea- 

 tures can often be heard. 



Though called Swallows, they are very unlike 

 the Swallow in every respect, except that they 

 feed in the air and have weak feet. They can- 

 not perch, but rest and sleep hanging on the 

 side of the tree or chimney, propped by the stiff 



