]32 



THE WHITE-BELLIED SWIFT. 



The following interesting account of the habits of this bird is given by Mr. 

 Thompson : — 



" The first place I met with the Alpine Swift was almost ten miles to the north of 

 Naples, on the 12th of August, LS26, when a great number were observed associated together 

 in flight, at a high elevation. Their evolutions in the air were similar to those of a 

 common Swift. Independently of their superior size, which at once distinguishes them 

 from that bird, the white colour of a portion of the under phimage, from which they have 

 received the name of White-bellied Swift, is conspicuous, even when the bird is at a 

 considerable altitude. 



When on the continent in 1841 with my friend Professor E. Forbes, this species was 

 first seen by us on the 9th of April, as we descended the Rhone, from Lyons to Avignon. 

 About half way between .these cities, several appeared flying over the river, and a few 

 at all suitable places thence to Avignon. On the morning of the 28th of April, as 

 we entered the splendid bay of Navarino, great numbers appeared careering high over- 

 head. When walking through the pretty town of the same name, later in the day, Alpine 



Ml'Wi^^^ 



WHITE-BELLIED SWIFT— rjipselHS Mellm. 



Swifts were observed flying very low over the streets and houses, though the weather was 

 delightfully warm and fine. On my visiting the island of Sphacteria, the western 

 boundary of the bay, on the 29th, these birds were very abundant. The attraction here 

 was a range of noble precipitous clifls rising directly above the sea, at the western side of 

 the island. These Swifts inhabited the clitt's, which are similar to those tenanted by the 

 common species in the north of Scotland. 



Although the day was as fine and as warm as our northern summers ever are, these 

 birds, as I walked along the tojj of the cliffs, swept about low and in numbers, occasionally 

 within a few yards of my head. This remark is made from the circumstance of the 

 common Swift being generally high in the air in fine weather ; we do, however, occasionally 

 observe it sweeping near the earth at such times. Though larger, they in general appearance 

 and flight strongly resemble the common Swift : they are very noisy, almost constantly 

 uttering a loud twitter, beside which, they occasionally give a brief scream, nowise 

 resemblmg the long drawn and shrill cry of the common species. Towards the end of 

 May, I saw a few Alpine Swifts at Constantinople, wheeling about the heights of Pera, 

 and near the high tower of Galata, in which they probably Iniild. In the mouth of June, 

 I met with this species at the island of Paros, and about the Acropolis of Athens. 



