BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 105 



two similar houses not very far off for breeding 

 purposes, a good many nesting in them, and others, 

 as in Sark, amongst the cliffs. Young Le Chemiriant 

 had a few Swifts' eggs in his small collection, 

 probably taken from this very house, as the Swift 

 is certainly, as Mr. MacCulloch says, rare in other 

 parts of Guernsey. In Alderney the Swift is 

 tolerably common, and a good many pairs were 

 breeding about Scott's Hotel when I was there this 

 year (1878). Probably a good many Swifts visit 

 the Islands, especially Alderney, for a short time on 

 migration, principally in the autumn, as once when 

 I was crossing from Weymouth to Guernsey, on the 

 18th of August, I saw a large flock of Swifts just 

 starting on their migratory flight ; they were 

 plodding steadily on against a stormy southerly 

 breeze, spread out like a line of skirmishers, not 

 very high, but at a good distance apart ; there was 

 none of the wild dashing about and screeching which 

 one usually connects with the flight of the Swift, but 

 a steady business-like flight ; they went a little to 

 the eastward of our course in the steamer, and this 

 would have brought them to land in Alderney or 

 Cape la Hague. 



Professor Ansted included the Swift in his list, 

 but oddly enough, considering the remark of Mr. 

 Gallienne above quoted, marks it as only occurring 

 in Guernsey. There is no specimen at present in the 

 Museum. 



