SWIFTS 41 



III is easily recognised by its steel-green and dark-blue 

 plumage, strongly graduated tail with white spots on the 

 feathers (excepting the two centre), black belly and red bill. 



It is found from Knysna in Cape Colony, eastwards 

 through Natal to Zululand, the Transvaal, Ehodesia, 

 Bechuanaland and German South-West Africa. 



It is essentially a forest-loving species ; it may be seen 

 hunting for insects in small parties of four to twelve indi- 

 viduals. Their chattering propensities are well known, and 

 the noise a party of them create as they take wing when 

 disturbed, is nothing short of deafening. 



This bird nests in holes in trees (usually " commandeered " 

 from some other bird), and lays three eggs of a beautiful 

 greenish-blue, minutely and sparsely speckled with whitish 

 pin-points. 



The Seimitar-bni {Ehinopomastus cyanomelas) is smaller 

 than the Kakelaar, glossy purple above and dull black 

 below, and has, a slender, very curved black bill. 



It is only found from immediately south of the Orange 

 Eiver, northwards. We discovered them in pairs along the 

 Modder Eiver in the Bloemfontein District, where they may 

 be seen amongst the mimosas searching for the iasects and 

 spiders which form their staple diet. Mr. Austin Eoberts, 

 who took the eggs of this bird on the banks of the Vaal Eiver, 

 near Venterskroon, informs us they were four in number 

 and of a beautiful verditer blue colour. He discovered them 

 in a hole in the trunk of a mimosa tree on November 9, 1904. 



SWIFTS 



The Swifts {Cypselidce) are all exclusive insect-feeders. 



South Africa possesses five species, two of which are oversea 

 migrants, one {Gypselus apus) from Europe and the other 

 {C. affinis) from India. 



