396 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



The female is similar to the male in size and 

 colour. Easily distinguished from the Swallow by 

 large size, shorter tail, and colour. 



Situation and Locality. Holes in church towers, 

 chimneys, sea cliffs, the walls of old ruins, some- 

 times within even six feet of the ground, under the 

 tiles of houses and barns. Our illustration is from 

 a photograph of part of Gracious Street, Selborne, 



GRACIOUS STREET, SELBORNE. 



where astonishing numbers of Swifts nest every year, 

 The tenant of a cottage where Swifts breed once 

 informed me that he could hardly ever sleep after day- 

 break on account of the noise made by the hungry 

 young birds. Throughout the British Isles ; though 

 there are districts where the bird is not met with. 



Materials. Scarcely any, consisting only of a 

 few straws lined with feathers, and often glued or 

 cemented together with viscid saliva. The Swift 

 will turn to account the old nest of any other bird, 

 provided it is suitably situated, or even lay its eggs 

 amongst a collection of cobwebs and dust. 



