THE ALPINE SWIFT. 203 



Mr. Howard Saunders saw hundreds at Gibraltar 

 towards the end of March, and in June it was 

 observed by Lord Lilford amongst the peaks of 

 the Sierra near San Ildefonso. To England, as 

 we have said, it rarely strays. In habits it is 

 described, by those who have had opportunities 

 for observing it, as resembling very much the 

 Common Swift. Like this species, it nests in 

 holes and crevices, and lays two white eggs of a 

 similar shape to those of its congener, but much 

 larger. Its cry is said to be very different. Its 

 vastly superior size and white belly serve at all 

 times to distinguish it from the smaller and more 

 sable bird with which we are so familiar. 



The Spine-tailed Swift {Acanthylis caiid- 

 acutus), a bird which is found in Siberia, Persia, 

 India, China, and Australia, has in one single 

 instance been met with in the British Islands. 

 A specimen was killed at Great Horkesley, near 

 Colchester, on July 8, 1846, as recorded in the 

 "Zoologist" for that year (p. 1492), and was 

 fortunately examined in the flesh by Messrs. 

 Yarrell, Fisher, Hall, Doubleday, and Newman. 



