THE COMMON SWIFT. 1 93 



differs very considerably. In corroboration of 

 this it has been shown that anglers have re- 

 peatedly captured these birds with artificial 

 trout-flies of very different appearance.^ Isaak 

 Walton informs us that Swifts were in his time 

 taken in Italy with rod and line ; and, according 

 to Washington Irving, one of the sports of the 

 Alhambra was angling for swallows from its 

 lofty towers.* There are several species of 

 Swifts distributed throughout the world, but 

 only two visit the British Islands, and of these 

 one is but a rare and accidental visitant. 



The Common Swift is the last of the Hirun- 

 dines to arrive in this country, and the first to 

 leave it. Its habits are very different from 

 those of the Swallows. As a rule it makes no 

 nest, but only lines a hole, into which it creeps ; 

 it lays but two eggs (rarely three), instead of 

 five or six like the Swallows ; it rears but one 

 brood in the summer, instead of two, or even 

 three, as Swallows often do. The late Mr. J. 



1 Thompson, " Nat. Hist. Ireland" (Birds), i. p. 377. 



2 Irving, "Tales of the Alhambra.' 



O 



