122 SWIFT. 



Orkney Islands, the Rev. George Low, in his 'Fauna Orca- 

 densis,' mentions that he had once or twice seen specimens. 

 Dr. Baikie and Mr. Heddle, in their 'Natural History of 

 Orkney,' also record that 'on the 25th. of July, 1830, a flock 

 of about forty were seen flying south. Another flock appeared 

 in Sanday, on the 27th. of September, in the same year. On 

 the 8th. of July, 1836, Mr. Strang shot one at Fair Isle; and 

 one was caught alive by the same gentleman at Lopness, on 

 the 9th. of June, 1839. During the summer of 1847, a pair 

 were observed flying about St. Magnus' Cathedral, on which 

 most likely they had their nest.' 



The favourite haunts of Swifts are buildings in towns and 

 villages, church-steeples, fortresses, and castles. 



The Swift, migratory like all our Swallows, arrives among 

 us later than the others, namely, not until the beginning of 

 May, and leaves us in the beginning or middle of August. 

 This is the rule; but exceptions to it, as a matter of course, 

 have occurred, do occur, and will occur. Thus, the Rev. 

 Gilbert White, in the year 1781, noticed that one pair of 

 Swifts remained after all the others had, on or about the 

 1st. of August, taken their departure. In a few days but 

 one bird remained, the female, as imagined; but there is 

 nothing to shew that it was not the male. Whichever it 

 was, it continued feeding its young, which were then dis- 

 covered, until the 27th. of the month, when both parent and 

 children disappeared. Mr. Yarrell imagines that the other 

 parent forsook its family for its companions; but in the 

 absence of proof of this, it will be, as far as concerns the 

 bird, a more charitable supposition, and certainly very far 

 from an impossible one, that some reckless shooter cut him 

 or her oif. 



Mr. J. B. Ellman, of Lewes, saw two on the 29th. of August, 

 1850. The Rev. J. C. Atkinson saw three or four companies 

 of Swifts near Eyemouth, on the 30th. of August, 1843, 

 'evidently winging their way southwards. The first lot con- 

 sisted of four or five individuals, the next of twelve or fifteen. 

 One company loitered a little over a field of beans, but none 

 of them remained long in sight. For the most part their 

 line of flight seemed to lie along the edge of the coast; for 

 few of them ranged to any distance, either seaward or inland. 

 On the 31st. one was seen; and on September the 3rd. two 

 or three at a short distance over the sea.' F. Wayne, Esq. 

 observed one at Much Wenlock, Shropshire, on the 28th. of 



