THE SWIFT. 109 



The Swiffc, indeed, does not compare ab all favour- 

 ably for intelligence with the swallow, whose name 

 or nest he sometimes usurps. Into the anatomical 

 distinctions between the two it is not my intention 

 here to enter ;but roughly Swifts may be distinguished 

 from swallows by having only ten instead of twelve 

 tail-feathers, or if one cannot catch them for the 

 purpose of noting this distinction, by the Swift's 

 habits, noticed above, of not perching away from 

 .home. The swallows sit both on dead twigs and 

 telegraph wires, and when they have occasion to 

 come to the ground for mud, can walk as much as 

 they want, with their pretty little feet, which are just 

 miniatures of those of ordinary birds. But one does 

 not often see swallows in Calcutta to make the 

 comparison, though our common Chimney Swallow 

 (Hirundo rustim),vih.i<ih. also is found here, and breeds- 

 in the Himalayas, does turn up sometimes, especially 

 in the cold weather. Perhaps the Swifts have had 

 something to say in the matter, for, as I hinted above, 

 they are rather too much for swallows when the 

 interests of the two happen to clash, the swallow's 

 nice mud nest being a great temptation to a dishonest 

 Swift. However, Swifts and swallows ot niunerous 

 species do exist out here together, so that probably 

 as a rule they do not get in each other's way. The 

 English Swift, for instance, occur in the hills and 



