DUSKY, GRAY, AND SLATE-COLORED 317 



424. VAUX SWIFT. — Chmtura vauxi. 

 Family : The Swifts. 



Length: 4.15-4.50. 



Adults: Upper parts dusky brown, lighter on rump; under parts gray, 

 merging to whitish on throat ; tail spined. 



Geographical Distribution: Pacific coast region, from British Columbia 

 to Mexico ; east casually to Montana and Arizona. Migrates to Cen- 

 tral America. 



California Breeding Range : From the Santa Cruz mountains northward 

 ^through humid coast belt. 



Breeding Season : May and June. 



Nest: Of small twigs glued together in the shape of a half saucer, and 

 fastened to the inside walls of hollow trees. 



Eggs: 3 to 5 ; white. Size 0.72 X 0.50. 



The Vaux Swift, while not very abundant anywhere 

 in California, is found as a migrant in all parts of the 

 State, and breeds in suitable localities from Santa Cruz 

 northward. In a hollow Cottonwood tree near the river, 

 and a short distance from the town of Santa Cruz, a 

 colony of several pairs of these small Swifts nest every 

 year. On the fifteenth of June three of the nests con- 

 tained eggs, and the others were empty but would 

 doubtless be used later. Early every morning, four to 

 five o'clock, the adults could be seen skimming over the 

 river quite near the surface, every now and then darting 

 down as if to sip, and instantly rising again. One that 

 we found on the ground, apparently injured, had very 

 large liquid eyes like the chimney swift and was most 

 appealingly confiding. It was either too stunned or too 

 courageous to be afraid, for it rested contentedly in my 



