lining. Although the Swifts are exceedingly gregarious, they do not show this trait 

 during the breeding season, as usually only one pair is found nesting in one chimney. 

 The usual site of the nest is a chimney not in use. They exercise superior care and 

 foresight in the selection of the chimney. The nest is usually placed far down and is 

 always glued to the walls by means of a gummy saliva which the birds secrete. The 

 small sticks, of which it is composed, are of a uniform size, wrought and interwoven 

 into a neat semi-circular basket. All the twigs are glued together. "In selecting the twigs, 

 with which they are to construct their nests," says Dr. Brewer, "the Swifts break from 

 the tree the ends of living branches, which they gather with great skill and adroitness 

 while on the wing. . . . This is a well attested fact, familiar to all who have ever 

 watched these birds in the early morning as they are at work constructing their nests." 



My friend, Mr. Otto Widmann, of Old Orchard, Mo., constructed an artificial 

 chimney of boards, which he placed on his house, in order to induce the Chimney Swifts 

 to nest in his place. A pair of these birds select it year after year for their nesting 

 site. In Texas, where no chimneys are found on the country houses, these birds still 

 nest in hollow trees in the bottom woods. They invariably select such trees of which 

 the tops have been broken off by a heavj-^ storm. Such hollow stumps of considerable 

 height are frequent, and they also harbor great numbers of Swifts during the nights 

 after and before the breeding season. The eggs, four to six in number, are pure white. 



About the roosting of the Chimney Swift, Mr. Otto Widmann sends me the follow- 

 ing account: 



"Though each pair choose their own chimney for nesting purposes, they prefer to 

 remain together as long as possible before nesting time, and to congregate again as 

 soon as possible after the breeding season. When the young are able to fly, all the 

 Swifts of one locality assemble in the evening near their mutual roosting place, enlivening 

 for a short time the whole neighborhood in a very pleasant manner. When the time of 

 their southward migration approaches, small communities congregate with other assem- 

 blages, flying often very far in order to reach their common roost, a large and wide 

 chimney of a large building. Such a place often harbors thousands of these birds. To 

 the friend of Nature it is an imposing and impressive sight to observe the assembling of 

 these wonderful birds in the evening near the chimney in which they all take up their 

 abode during the night. In fine weather, when food is abundant, the first Swifts make 

 their appearance at sunset. At first only a few are to be seen. They are skimming 

 through the air in all directions, disappearing for a few moments to re-appear accom- 

 panied by other birds. Shortly their numbers increase, but they are scattered over a large 

 territory. It grows dusky. The swarm is now very large, coming nearer and nearer, 

 and forming a ring of chattering and apparently very excited birds, which fly now 

 higher, now lower over the building, all moving in one direction. New arrivals are at 

 once drawn into the whirl. In the meantime several have approached the opening of 

 the chimney, but they stop in a loitering way, apparently examining if it is safe to 

 enter. About a hundred times they have circled round the chimney, before one enters 

 in a perpendicular position, and unsteadily flying from one side to the other. Several 

 others follow. Then a few seconds, often minutes, elapse, until, after a thorough 

 examination of the chimney, others conclude to follow. Now it has become quite dusky. 



