336 THE CHIMNEY SWIFT. 



No. 146. 

 CHIMNEY SWIFT. 



A. O. U. No. 423. Chastura pelagica (Linn.). 



Synonym. — ChimnBy Swai;i,ow (incorrect). 



Description. — Adult: Entire plumage sooty brown or sooty gray, darker, 

 almost black, on wings, much lighter on throat; feathers of upper parts with 

 faintest possible greenish iridescence; lores black; the shafts of the tail-feathers 

 extending beyond the vanes, forming black spines one-quarter to one-third of an 

 inch in length; point of wing formed by first and second primaries; the remain- 

 ing wing-quills strongly and uniformly graduated in length; bill very small; feet 

 weak. Length 4.75-5.50 (120.6-139.7) ; wing 5.00 (127.); tail 1.90 (48.3); bill 

 from nostril .16 (4.1) ; gape i.oo (25.4). 



Recognition Marks. — Apparently "Swallow" size; abbreviated tail; semi- 

 lunar appearance of wings in flight; general black aspect. Never seen at rest 

 save in chimneys or hollow trees. 



Nest, a shallow half-saucer of short twigs, glued together with the bird's 

 saliva and similarly cemented to the inside wall of a chimney, or placed in a 

 hollow tree. Eggs, 4-6, pure white. Av. size, .80 x .51 (20.3 x 13.). 



General Range. — Eastern North America north to Labrador and the Fur 

 Countries, west to the Plains, and passing south of the United States in winter, 

 at least to Jalapa, Mexico, and Cozumel. 



Range in Ohio. — Abundant summer resident. 



THE way of any bird in the air commands interest, but the way of the; 

 Swift provokes both admiration and astonishment. With volitatorial powers 

 which are unequaled by any other land bird, this avian missile goes hurtling 

 across the sky without injury, or else minces along slowly with pretended diffi- 

 culty. Now it waddles to and fro in strange zigzags, picking up a gnat at 

 every angle, and again it "lights out" with sudden access of energy and alter- 

 nate wing strokes, intent on hawking in heaven's upper story. At favorite 

 seasons the birds cross and recross each other's paths in lawless mazes and fill 

 the air with their strident creakings, while here and there couples and even 

 trios sail about in great stifif curves with wings held aloft. It is the only oppor- 

 tunity afforded for personal attentions, and it is probable that the sexes have no 

 further acquaintance except as they pass and repass in ministering to the young. 



The most interesting hour in the life of this bird is bed-time. All the 

 birds in a given locality resort nightly to some high chimney or ventilator shaft, 

 — the larger the better. Even during the breeding season the males congregate 

 regularly in these places and thither the young are hurried as soon as they'have 

 attained adolescence. After sunset, then, the company gathers for a social whirl 

 in the air above their long black bunk. Under leadership which seems haphazard, 

 they gyrate furiously, now appearing like specks borne about resistlessly in 

 some vast whirlpool, now following through some intricate evolution in figure- 



