Appendix, 



THE SWIFT FAMILY. 



Formally confounded with the swallows. These 

 birds are almost constantly on the wing, flying 

 with great rapidity, and with rapid vibrations of 

 the wings, darting hither and thither with much 

 impetuosity. Bill and feet very small and 

 weak; wings very long and powerful. Insect 

 feeders. 



6i. Black Swift; Cypseloides niger bore alls Ridgw. 



Size large. Coloration uniformly dark, blackish 

 or grayish brown. 



62. Vaux's Swift; Chatura vauxii (Towns.). 



The western representative of the chimney swift. 

 Size rather small, but little over four inches 

 long. General coloration dusky grayish, throat 

 very pale, the rump and upper tail-coverts 

 lighter than the back. Generally flies abroad at 

 evening, and especially common about streams 

 in the redwoods; its general appearance is quite 

 bat-like. 



63. White-throated Swift; A'eronautes melano- 

 leucus (Baird). 



Size nearly equaling that of the black swift. 

 Length seven inches or a little less. General 

 color above blackish brown; this also on the 

 under tail-coverts. Throat and breast white; a 

 patch of same on flanks and on the wings. 

 Nesting on inaccessible clifi^s in the mountains. 

 Flies abroad by day. 



295 



