82 A CATALOGUE oF THE BlllfiS 



Family. CYPSELID^, Bonaparte.. 

 86. CYPSELUS, Illiger. 

 101. Swift. C. apits, {Linnceus.) 



Cyinelus murarius, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, 1., 308. 

 ,, apus, Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, II., 260. 



- A spring-and-autumn migrant. The Swift usually comes and 

 goes with the Swallows. This fine species nested, thirty or forty 

 years ago, in old houses in the Castle Garth, in the midst of 

 E'ewcastle ; like its relatives, the Swallow and Martin, it is now 

 rarely seen in I^ewcastle. 



It also built in Lumley Castle, on the "Wear, and being anxious 

 to obtain its eggs I watched an individual enter a hole in the 

 parapet several times, and was astonished, on ascending the 

 building and capturing the bird, as I supposed on its nest, to find 

 that this contained only sparrow's eggs. This incident clearly 

 shows what caution is necessary in identifying the eggs of birds. 

 Had I not previously known the e^^ of the Swift I might have 

 asserted that these eggs belonged to it, for I had seen the bird 

 enter the nest several times, and had taken it off the eggs. 



' ' The shortness of the tarsi and great length of wings render 

 the Swift unable to rise fi'om an even surface." So it is stated 

 in " Selby's Illustrations of British Ornithology," Yol. I., p. 129. 

 Impressed with this idea, at the time, I laid my Lumley captive 

 on the floor of the room where I was ; it appeared quite helpless 

 and rolled from side to side when touched ; becoming emboldened 

 I took it out of doors and j)laced it on the garden walk, and in 

 a moment it took wing and went off as only a Swift can. 



This happened many years ago, I have had, however, a recent 

 demonstration of the same fact. The spring of 1873 was very 

 cold, and a Swift becoming apparently benumbed entered an open 

 window of the Newcastle Infirmaiy. After the bird had some- 

 what recovered, I had an opportunity of handling it, and of again 

 trying my old experiment. The Swift was laid on the floor of 

 the apartment, and in an instant it took flight, and flew against 

 the window, but not with sufficient force to injure itself. 



