THE BLACK SWIFT. 177 



yet, and he had no means of measuring it at hand. It resembled the egg of a 

 Chimney Swift in shape, but was somewhat larger. 



The food of the Black Swift consists entirely of insects, which are caught 

 on the wing, and its flight is, if possible, still more graceful and rapid than that 

 of the Chimney Swift. It is a rather silent bird, and seldom utters any call 

 notes while on the wing or when feeding. I believe it rarely, if ever, lights on 

 the ground. 



As yet there is nothing positively known about the construction of the 

 nest of this species, and the eggs still remain unknown. I am aware that an 

 account of the finding of the supposed nest and eggs has been published in 

 " The Auk" (Vol. V, 1888, pp. 424, 425), but I am quite positive that this is a 

 case of misidentification. I visited the same region in May, 1894, and found 

 the Western Martin, Progne subis hesperia, not uncommon in that very locality, 

 and the nest and eggs described as those of the Black Swift are unquestionably 

 referable to this subspecies. 



63. Chaetura pelagica (Linnaeus). 



CHIMNEY SWIFT. 



Hirundo pelagica Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, eel. 10, 1, 1758, 192. 

 Chcetura pekugia Stephens, General Zoology, XIII. part ii, 1825, 76. 

 (B 109, C 271, E 351, G 405, TJ 423.) 



Geographical range: Eastern North America; north in the southern portions of 

 the Dominion of Canada to about latitude 50°; in the interior, in northwestern Manitoba 

 to about latitude 52° 30' and probably still farther; west in the United States to eastern 

 North and South Dakota, eastern Nebraska and Kansas, the Indian Territory, and Texas- 

 south in winter to Jalapa, Vera Cruz, Cozumel Island, and Yucatan, Mexico, and probably 

 still farther. 



The breeding range of the Chimney Swift, also known as "Chimney 

 Swallow" and " Chimney Sweep," is coextensive with its distribution in the 

 Dominion of Canada and the United States, it being onlv a summer visitor, 

 spending the winter in a milder climate. It usually re-enters the United States 

 from the south in the latter part of March or early in April, and its return 

 migration from its more northern breeding grounds begins early in September, 

 while in our Middle States it lingers sometimes well into October. The north- 

 ernmost record for this species which I have been able to find is Swan Lake, 

 in northwestern Manitoba, Avhere Prof. J. Macoun met with it on July 8, 1881. 

 Its western range appears to be gradually extending, and at present includes 

 about the eastern half of the States of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, 

 Kansas, the Indian Territory, and Texas. It is an eminently social bird, and 

 with the settlement of the country has changed its nesting habits very mate- 

 rially. Formerly the Chimney Swift nested exclusively in hollow tree trunks; 

 now it generally uses chimneys for such purposes, and less often the interior of 

 barns and other outbuildings, attaching its nest to the rough, unplaned boards 

 inside, on the gable end and near the peak of the roof. 



