1 1 8 HIRUNDIN^E. 



the latest in arriving, and the first to take its departure. Ad- 

 mirably fitted for the flight nature has intended it to endure, 

 its glossy-green plumage harmonizes beautifully with its bold, 

 sweeping, and desultory flight. 



Similar as are all the swallows in their habits, no other fa- 

 mily differ so widely in the structure of the nest. We have 

 already seen the mud-built domicile of the swallow, the win- 

 dow-corner domed structure of the martin, and the dark 

 dwelling in the sandpit of the sand martin, with the swift 

 we see none of these localities selected, but, searching for 

 some crevice in the time-rent tower, or an entrance under 

 the eave of some church or castle, it nidifys there, and rears 

 its small brood of voyageurs. 



We might call the swift the rarest of the family in its oc- 

 currence in Ireland, excepting, of course, those species which 

 have only appeared in one or two instances. 



On its arrival, like the sand martin and swallow, it gene- 

 rally selects its breeding haunts at once, in most cases the 

 same the bird had employed the preceding year. 



From notes taken on different ornithological tours, we have 

 observed the swift to occur in greater numbers in the city of 

 Dublin than either London or Paris, or any of the large 

 towns of either countries visited. True, we may see the swift 

 dashing with its impetuous flight about the most populous 

 districts of London ; and in every Continental town, from the 

 spire of St. Gedules, at Brussels, to the Cathedral of Strasburgh, 

 observe small parties with the same headlong speed hawking 

 in the air about their vicinity ; yet, in almost all the princi- 

 pal streets of Dublin the swift lives and u forays" on the 

 wing in the greatest abundance ; so much so, that we have, 

 on many occasions, observed crowds of car-boys and others 

 striking at them on the wing with whips, or other mis- 

 siles, in the neighbourhood of the quays, frequented for their 

 insect food ; and, unfortunately, from the harmless and un- 

 suspecting nature of the bird, with too much success ; as on 

 one occasion we saw eight of those unfortunate birds u living 

 in death," with their wings broken, and their bodies covered 

 with blood, offered to the curious for the merest trifle. 



The swift is well known to the inhabitants of Dublin, at- 

 tracting their attention by its loud, shrill, piercing scream, 

 uttered when sweeping past upon the wing, and often so loud 

 and startling as to alarm equestrians for their safety in the 

 public streets. On one occasion, in a sultry evening in July 

 last, some swifts rushed past a horse's head, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Westmoreland-street, screaming so loudly that 



