300 BRITISH BIRDS. 



The nest is built in a hole or crevice, generally in the most inaccessible 

 part of the cliffs, sometimes where they overhang. It is usually at some 

 distance from the entrance ; and even if this can be approached, the eggs, 

 often within sight of the collector, are beyond his reach. The nest is a 

 very similar structure to that of the Common Swift, rather small, and 

 made of dry grass, straws, and feathers, very flat, and cemented together 

 with the saliva of the bird. Most of the nest materials are obtained 

 whilst the bird is on the wing, but the remains of other nests may some- 

 times be utilized. Hume, in his ( Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds/ writes 

 of the nest of this bird : " Three or four nests at least appear to have 

 been grouped together in one mass. One chamber, which is perfect, 

 measures about 5 inches in diameter, and was about three to four inches 

 in height. The walls of the nest average about an inch in thickness, but 

 in many places, owing to the necessary fillings-in where the more or less 

 circular chambers meet each other, there is a much greater thickness of 

 material ; and where two chambers are nearest to each other, the partition- 

 wall rarely exceeds half an inch/'' Canon Tristram thus describes a nest 

 of this bird in a very unusual situation : " Once only did we find this 

 Swift breeding near the ground and in an accessible position, and then 

 we had the vexation of actually touching the eggs without being able to 

 take them. On the 2nd of May we had climbed to the summit of Jebel 

 Jilad (Mount Gilead), overlooking the deep Jordan valley from the east 

 side, one of the grandest panoramic views in Palestine. After standing 

 for some time on a projecting platform of rock which forms the western 

 brow of the mountain, we descended to examine the face of the cliff, and 

 discovered three large and partly artificial caves immediately below us. 

 They were a mass of fossilized ammonites ; and while hammering away at 

 these in one of the caves out flew two Alpine Swifts, whose nest we soon 

 discovered in a crevice about six feet above the floor of the cavern. The 

 chink, which was about three inches in perpendicular diameter, was con- 

 tracted by a plastering of very hard mud*, which cost us some labour to 

 work out. Inside, the cavity enlarged as it descended ; and after scooping 

 away the clay and portions of the rock with a small hammer, I was at 

 length able to touch the two eggs with the tips of my fingers. Anything 

 for a scoop ! A kingdom for a spoon ! But in vain ; and when we went 

 up again to search for an available stick, we found our companions gone 

 and out of sight in the forest. Grievous as was the disappointment, it 

 would have been yet worse to be benighted in that wild and lawless 

 region ; and there was nothing for it but, while daylight served, to mount 

 and follow the track of the horses as rapidly as we might. We never 



* It is not known that any Swift uses niud in the construction of its nest. In this 

 case the old nest of a Rock-Nuthatch had probably been utilized by the Alpine Swift. 



