VIII. 



J Campbell, Annotations. 



igo9 J v^AMFBLLL, /innotattoHs. 147 



*' On this occasion I went to a locality where I had often seen 

 the Swifts darting among huge blocks of granite a few feet above 

 high water mark on the weather side of the island. They were 

 plentiful and very active, but no nests were to be seen in the 

 crevices I considered favourable. When, however, we began to 

 explore a darksome cavern well hidden in the jungle, the excited 

 fluttering of invisible birds revealed a hitherto well-kept secret. 

 When our eyes became accustomed to the dimness we saw that 

 the roof of the cave (which is fairly smooth and regular, with an 

 inclination of about 30 degrees) was studded M'ith nests. I 

 counted 53, placed irregularly about the middle of the cave ; none 

 on the walls. Some nests were ap])arently not quite finished ; 

 twenty contained a single white e^g each ; none contained young.' 

 All were adherent to the roof by a semi-transparent white 

 substance resembling isinglass, with which also the -grass, tendrils, 

 and bark composing the nests were consolidated. The vegetable 

 material of which the first nest found (17th September) was made 

 was quite green and the gluten moist and sticky. Those of to-day 

 were hard — glued into solidity. After the first fright the birds 

 became very quiet and confiding. A young one flew into my hand, 

 and I detained it for a while without a struggle. Another tried to 

 snoodle into the shirt-pocket of the blackboy who accompanied me. 

 Several brushed against our faces. The weather was rather cloudy, 

 and what with the screen of foliage and the prevailing gloom of 

 the cavern we could not always distinguish the nests. When the 

 sun shone brightly they were all readily discernible, those with 

 the single white egg looking very quaint. As they flitted in and 

 out of the cavern the birds were as noiseless as butterflies, save 

 when they wheeled to avoid each other. Those which were brood- 

 ing, as they flitted over their nests and clung to the edges, uttered 

 a peculiar note, hard to render into words. To my ears it seemed a 

 blending of cheeping, clicking, and chattering, yet metallic, and 

 not very unlike the quick winding up of a clock. One bird flew 

 to her nest a foot or so from my face, and clung to it. To test 

 its timidity or otherwise I approached my face to within 2 inches 

 of her, but she continued to scrutinize me at even these close 

 quarters with charming assurance. Then I gently ])laced my hand 

 over her. She struggled gently for a few seconds and then remained 

 passive, her bright eyes glinting in the gloom. She was a dusky 

 little creature, the primaries, the back of the head, neck, 

 shoulders, and tail being black, but when the wings are extended 

 for flight the white down at the base of the tail is very conspicuous. 

 After a few minutes I put her back in the nest and she clung to it, 

 having no fear of me. I noticed that the beak was very small, 

 the gape very large ; the legs short and the toes slender. We 

 remained in the cave for about half an hour, throughout which 

 time the birds came and went, indifferent to our presence. 



" In the interests of science, but to the violence of my own 

 sentiments, I secured two specimens of the nests and four eggs for 

 you. One egg was quite fresh ; one had just germinated; the in- 



