THE 
FINDING NESTS OF 
WHITE THROATED SWIFTS. 
Part i: 
In THE OOLOGIST, No. 273, page 
49, | quoted a tew remarks about find- 
ing nests of this Swift. So little has 
been recorded concerning these rare 
birds, that I really believe they need 
another write-up. 
When they began nesting first this 
year, I was unable to study their 
habits further. But on dates of June 
14, 15, 16, I found time to go out, and 
found five nests, which I will describe 
later. 
On My arrival, at the top of Cliff 
No. 1, on the fourteenth, I located three 
nests, or saw Swifts go into three dif- 
ferent places in the cliff. 
The cliff was very large, being about 
150 feet of a slope and below this a 
pitch of about seventy feet. There 
was a sort of large crack at top that 
extended down no less than fifteen 
feet and overhanging at top three feet. 
To commence with I had to get one 
hundred and fifty feet of rope and my 
thirty foot ladder and some iron pegs 
for safety. After having set my line 
with ladder, I found it was necessary 
to use another rope to keep my lad- 
der in place. I then went down to the 
first crack, I had seen them fly into. 
I couldn’t see anything, but could hear 
young birds. There was a small hole 
about one foot above the crack. I 
reached in about two feet and pulled 
out a nest containing four half-grown 
birds and one dried up egg. 
The nest was made of a few straws 
and grass, lined with feathers, cement- 
ed together with bird saliva. It meas- 
ured four inches across the top, and 
two inches deep. 
It was then so late, I had to leave. 
That evening ! hunted all I could find 
about this bird and read them with 
much interest. 
00° ,.OGIST 111 
The next morning my friend, Mr. 
Brown, and I went out to see about 
the other nests. Mr. Brown went 
down to the second nest, which was at 
least four feet back in the crack. 
There was no chance to find out any- 
thing here, We could hear the owner 
in the nest. He then went to the third 
nest. He found this one to be in about 
two feet and contained four young 
ones. The nest was similar to number 
one, 
I wanted a nest to study so fixed up 
a nest and took one of these. I also 
secured two birds which I intend to 
have mounted. 
The female bird has a large head 
and white throat. There is a strip of 
white running full length. The wings 
are very long and very narrow, with 
a very little white. The tail is about 
half as long as wings, and is white on 
both sides of the root. The back is 
a sort of bluish or slate color. The 
male is similar, but is more blackish 
on the back. 
Being unable to do any more with 
this cliff, I left for another one the 
next morning. I went down about one 
hundred and ten feet to the first nest. 
It was about two feet back in small 
crack. The nest was similar to others 
and contained four birds nearly ready 
to fly. 
I went to the fifth and last nest, but 
could do nothing, It was in a hole 
and I could see no end of it. 
In my three days’ study, I find they 
fly around most in the mornings and 
evenings. They feed the young about 
every half hour, and both birds go in- 
to the nest. 
I also found four young birds dead. 
Evidently they were caught in a nar- 
row place, as they tried to come out. 
Where do the various books get data 
on their laying in June and July? I 
can’t see for my part, as these must 
have been laid early in May. I intend 
