THE NEEDLE-TAILED SWIFT IN ENGLAND. 83 
inside, so that the outer and hind toes seem to be in a line with 
each other. Legs and toes brown; claws paler. The forehead 
and throat, as well as the under tail-coverts, are white; and 
there is a broad irregular line of the same colour extending from 
the tail to the thigh. The head, neck, wings, and tail are black 
or very dark brown, with very beautiful shades of green and 
purple in different lights. In the centre of the back is a very 
pale patch, almost white in the middle, but shading off to a pale 
brown as it reaches the dark tail and brown breast, and under 
parts. The inside webs of the quill-feathers of the wing are also 
of a pale brown or grey; in fact the two or three nearest the 
body are quite white, and were visible when the bird was flying, 
and even conspicuous when the wings were closed. 
The chief characteristic feature in the bird is that from 
whence it takes its name—viz., the spines of its tail. ‘The 
feathers of the tail are almost of equal length and ten in 
number, the shaft of each being prolonged beyond the webs 
nearly a quarter of an inch in the six middle ones, but not quite 
so long in the other four. The needle-like spines, which end in 
a sharp point, are stiff, black, and shining, like the shafts, of 
which they are a continuation. 
The weight of the bird was just under three ounces, and the 
body was plump and well-conditioned, indicating that it had been 
living well. I examined the stomach, and found it contained a 
comparatively large mass of insect remains, amongst which 
portions of the common wasp were very conspicuous, the hard 
horny thorax of two of these creatures being intact. Amongst 
the mass also were the two fore-wings of some moth, so doubled 
and rubbed that I could not recognise the species at first, but on 
a closer inspection I have not much hesitation in saying they 
belonged either to Leucania pallens or L. impura; and as these 
two species of moths naturally inhabit a damp or marshy 
situation, I am probably correct, although, as far as my expe- 
rience goes, they seldom fly in the daytime, and yet I suppose 
the bird must have taken them on the wing like the rest of its 
food. From the fact of wasps forming part of the diet, it seems 
that -even stinging insects are not objected to, but possibly 
anything of the kind on the wing is readily taken by this bird, 
and when the mouth is open it would be capable of securing an 
insect of considerable size. ‘That this bird was a general feeder 
