Spine-tailed Swift to JVeatJier Conditions. 749 



oLliquely to one side or the other when in flight, sometimes 

 moving the wings, especially when rising to a liiglier 

 elevation, but often making long sailing flights on motion- 

 less pinions, especially when on the downward curve. This 

 Swift does not appear to make any call when in flight ; it is 

 a silent bird, except that the '' swish " of the long curved 

 wings may be heard when it is near. 



On the same day, March 8th, a large party, probably of 

 one hundred or more, came apparently from the north-west 

 and went through graceful circlings and. wheelings high up 

 over the wooded hills to the south, where they could be well 

 di^ti^guished. against the background of dark grey clouds. 

 Presently another party arrived, apparently also from the 

 north-west, and joined the main body, until the whole 

 upper atmosphere seemed full of the graceful wheelings of 

 these perfect aeronauts. The wind was at this time light 

 from the north-west, but presently shifted to the south, and 

 many of the Swifts came back before it to the beach, and 

 swooped about after their insect prey at varying heights, 

 many quite close to the ground. It should be mentioned 

 that the storm of the previous day and night had been from 

 the south-east, and had threatened us for three or four days 

 before it broke. 



The birds were seen on and off" until jNIarch 12th, none 

 occurring at Devonport after that date up to April 6th, when 

 1 left Tasmania for a time. 



Lakes Untrance, East Gippsland, Victoria [Australia). 



8th Dec. 1910. — A great company of Spine-tailed Swifts 

 appeared this morning for the flrst time this summer, circling 

 and wheeling at heights varying from just above the gum- 

 trees to practically out of sight in the blue sky ; they were 

 flrst noticed shortly before 9 a.m. and a])peared to come 

 from east-nortli-east, as in the case of the great com- 

 pany of Wood-Swallows (Artamns tenebrosus) noted here 

 on the 5th of Sept., 1910, and recorded in the 'Emu^ for 

 October 1910, which continued its migration to the west- 

 south-west. On the occasion of this first appearance of the 



