58' 



met with it in Palestine, and says (Ibis, 1866, p. 79) that "it is the last to return" to that 

 country " in the spring. The first we shot was on the plain of Gennesaret on April 2nd, out of 

 a large flock chiefly composed of the other two species. Yet we had observed a few lingering 

 near Beyrout in November. During the breeding-season it is far more generally distributed than 

 its congeners, but affects less the rocky and desolate ravines. About most of the towns it is found 

 in prodigious swarms. In Jerusalem especially, countless numbers congregate, and sweep and 

 dash close to the ground in the more open spaces within the city like a swarm of flies, building 

 in all parts of the walls and public edifices. It was equally abundant in the north, but it breeds 

 late. We obtained a considerable number of eggs fresh in the beginning of June in the towns 

 at the northern base of Hermon, and while on the summit of that mountain saw many Common 

 Swifts playing overhead almost out of sight, unaccompanied by the larger species." There 

 appears to be much uncertainty as to its occurrence in North-east Africa, as it has been confused 

 with a closely allied form, the Pallid Swift. Captain Shelley (B. of Egypt, p. 172) says that he 

 is unaware of any authentic instance of its having been captured in Egypt ; but as it ranges 

 through Africa and Europe, and visits Palestine, it must undoubtedly pass through Egypt. 

 Dr. Otto Finsch decided that the specimens collected in Abyssinia by Mr. Jesse are identical 

 with our common European Swift, and says that he has examined examples from Sennar, Bogos- 

 land, and Benguela ; but I think it not improbable that he confused the Pallid Swift with the 

 present species. In North-western Africa it is exceedingly common, and occurs as far south as 

 the Cape of Good Hope. Loche speaks of it as being abundant in Algeria from April to 

 August; and Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., Canon Tristram, and Mr. O. Salvin all speak of it as being 

 numerous. Mr. Taczanowski observed it in the province of Constantine; Mr. Salvin (Ibis, 1859, 

 p. 302) saw it flying over the city of Tunis ; and Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake, in his paper on the 

 birds of Tangier and Eastern Morocco (Ibis, 1867, p. 425), speaks of it as being plentiful in 

 summer. Messrs. Shelley and Buckley (Ibis, 1872, p. 286) found it "very abundant" on the 

 Gold Coast; and Mr. Andersson (B. of Damara Land, p. 47) says that " it is common during the 

 rainy season in Damara and Great Namaqua Land." Mr. Layard (B. of S. Afr. p. 50) says that 

 it is " extremely abundant about Cape Town during our summer, disappearing about the middle 

 of April. I have remarked that here they are not in the habit, as in Europe, of chasing each 

 other round lofty buildings, uttering piercing cries and throwing up their wings. This evolution 

 is performed by C. caffer ; and I am inclined to attribute it to some love-gambol, as coffer breeds 

 here, and apus does not ; apus, however, constantly utters shrill screams when at a great altitude 

 in the air, and my attention has thus often been called to flocks that would otherwise have 

 escaped my notice." Mr. Gurney (Ibis, 1863, p. 321) also records it as found at Natal through- 

 out the year. 



To the eastward the present species occurs as far east as Dauria. Severtzoff (Turk. Jevotn. 

 p. 67) says that it is common during the summer throughout Turkestan, breeding in the moun- 

 tains at an altitude of from 1500 to 6000 feet. Dr. Jerdon (B. of India, i. p. 177) says that, 

 according to Adams, it is common in Kashmir, and visits the Punjab in the rains. It is, he says, 

 also common in Afghanistan ; and in his supplementary notes he says, " going up the valley 

 of the Sutlej from Simla, I first met with this bird at Serahan, and thence occasionally all the 

 way to Pangi ; but it was in the Lipi and Asrang valleys that I found it most abundant. One 



2t 



