308 BRITISH BIRDS. 



THE SWIFT. 



BLACK MARTIN, OR SCREAMER. 



(Cypsehis Murartus, Temm. Martinet de murailh-, 

 Temm.) 



LENGTH nearly eight inches. Bill black; eyes 

 hazel; general colour a sooty black, with greenish 

 reflections; throat white; wings long, measuring 

 from tip to tip about eighteen inches; tail much 

 forked ; legs dark brown and very short ; toes 

 stand two and two on each side of the foot, and 

 consist of two phalanges or joints only, a con- 

 formation peculiar to this bird. There is hardly 

 any difference between the male and the female. 



The Swift arrives later, and departs sooner 

 than any of the tribe; it is larger, stronger, and 

 its flight is more rapid than that of any other of 

 its kindred. It has but one brood in the year, 

 so that the young ones have time to gain strength 

 enough to accompany the parent birds in their dis- 

 tant excursions. They have been noticed at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, and probably visit the more 

 remote regions of Asia. Swifts are almost con- 

 tinually on the wing; they fly higher, and \vheel 



