10 WISCONSIN BIRD-STUDY BULLETIN. 



the same color as the nest and the ground on which it is built. 

 Doubtless this same instinctive desire to be in keeping with its sur- 

 roundings that has guided the bird in choosing the materials for its 

 nest has had everything to do with the modern nest building habits 

 of the swifts. Where could they find a nesting place that would 

 more completely match their color than a sooty -black chimney ! We 

 are often inclined to think, cart-before-horse fashion, that they are 

 sooty black because, they live in chimneys. 



The swifts lived, of course, long before there were any chimneys 

 and lived then as they do now where there are no chimneys, in 

 hollow trees. Their presence in such great numbers about the homes 

 of man in city and country seems to show that they prefer civiliza- 

 tion with its chimneys to the forest with its hollow trees. 



Moses Coit Tyler has said that our real names are not those that 

 were given us by our parents but those that we have earned for our- 

 selves. On this ground the swift should have two good names, for he 

 has earned two; one by his rapid flight, the other by his building in 

 chinmeys. What more natural than to call him the little chimney 

 sweep f a name already recorded by Mr. Bendire. 



The picture shows nicely the form and size of the nest and how it 

 is glued to the bricks. Notice that it has no lining. The six eggs 

 nearly fill it. How then can it hold the growing nestlings? Mr. 

 Otto Widman of Missouri and other observers have found that the 

 nest does not hold them long. They tell us that the parent birds 

 take turns in sitting on the nest: that they sit with the bill against 

 the wall over the middle of the nest, wings outspread to cover it : that 

 the young sit in a half circle, heads together, against the wall, their 

 tails sticking over the edge; but that in a fortnight or less they are 

 too big for the nest, clamber out and thereafter cling to the wall, at 

 first under the nest as if they were hiding. 



We had the pleasure once, of finding a nest in a bath-house on the 

 shore of Lake Michigan. There were no chimneys near. The nest 

 was glued to the rough boards about eight feet from the floor. The 

 young were out of the nest when found. They did not hide under it 

 but scattered out over a square yard or more of the board wall. The 

 old birds entered through a small window hole near the top of the 

 door. When they came with food and began feeding one youngster, 

 the others scuttled over to the fortunate one mth much spreading of 

 wings and a chorus of squealing, purring notes. On the departure 

 of the old bird, the young ones again scattered over the wall. 



We took one of the little fellows from the boards and let him cling 

 to the back of our hand. His claws pricked like pins and we were 

 glad to replace him. 



