C YPSEL US A CA NTHYLLIS 4 3 1 



Martinet a venire blanc, French ; Andorinhao gaivao, Portug. ; 

 Avion, Span.; Rondone de mare, Ital.; Alpensegler, Germ.; 

 Stresh-belobrukey Russ. 



g ad. (Switzerland). Upper parts, with sides of the head and neck, 

 flanks, under wing- and tail-coverts, and a band across the breast brown, 

 the back lighter and with a faint metallic gloss, the under wing-coverts 

 with narrow terminal margins ; chin, throat, lower breast, and abdomen 

 white ; bill blackish ; feet dull yellowish brown ; iris dark brown ; tarsus 

 covered in front with brown feathers. Gape 1*0, wing 8'7, tail 3*8, 

 tarsus 0'6 inch. Sexes alike. The young bird is greyer and darker, and 

 the brown feathers are margined with white. 



Hob. South Europe, north to the Alps, of rare occurrence in 

 northern France, England, Germany, and Heligoland; north 

 Africa ; Asia as far east as Darjiling and Assam, and south to 

 Ceylon ; in South Africa it is replaced by a closely allied species 

 C. africanus, Temm. 



This, the largest of our Swifts, is, like its allies, essentially 

 a bird of the air, and seldom perches, being unable to raise 

 itself from the level ground if it falls. It is gregarious and 

 obtains its food, which consists of small winged insects, when 

 on the wing. Its note is a loud harsh scream, frequently 

 uttered. It breeds in communities, placing its nest, which is 

 constructed of straws, grass-bents, leaves, and feathers worked 

 together with the viscous spittle which the bird secretes, in an 

 old building or a suitable cranny in the rocks. The eggs are 

 pure white, without gloss, 3 to 4 in number, are usually 

 deposited in May or June, and measure about 1*21 by 0*75. 



ACANTHYLLIS, Boie., 1826. 



617. NEEDLE-TAILED SWIFT. 



ACANTHYLLIS CAUDACUTA. 



Acanthyllis caudacuta (Lath.), Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. Ivii. (1801) ; Gould, 

 B. of Austral, ii. pi. x. ; Newton P.Z.S. 1880, p. 1 ; Dresser, iv. 

 p. 613, pi. 270 ; (Hartert), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xvi. p. 472 ; Tacz. F. 0. 

 Sib. O. p. 170; Saunders, p. 265 ; Lilford, ii. p. 42, pi. 18. 



Ama-tsubame, Jap. 



ad. (Siberia). Crown, sides of head, and nape black, glossed with 

 green ; forehead white ; back and rump brown, fading to whity brown on 

 the middle of the back ; wings, upper tail-coverts, and tail black, glossed 

 with bottle green, the inner secondaries white on the inner web ; terminal 

 shafts of tail-feathers naked, spinous and pointed : chin, throat, vent, and 



