8 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Many species in Asia, Africa and America, one only Palsearctic. 

 Nest in form of small saucer, attached by saliva to rocks or trees, 

 also (in American species) to buildings. 



-THE NEEDLE- 



CH,ETURA CAUDACUTA 



213. Chaetura caudacuta caudacuta (Lath.)- 

 TAILED SWIFT. 



Hirundo caudacuta Latham, Ind. Orn., Suppl., p. lvii, (1801 — 



Australia). 



Acanihyllis caudacuta (Latham), Yarrell, 11, p. 371 (footnote), in, p. ix ; 



Saunders, p. 265. 



Description. — Adult male 

 and female. Winter and sum- 

 mer. — Fore -head creamy - 

 white ; crown and nape dark 

 brown glossed metallic -green 

 (base of feathers of nape 

 whitish) ; upper part of 

 mantle, scapulars, back and 

 rump dark brown ; centre of 

 mantle pale brown ; upper 

 tail-coverts metallic - green ; 

 immediately in front of eye 

 small black patch ; ear - 

 coverts dark brown some 

 feathers tipped whitish ; 



whole chin and throat white ; breast and belly dark brown, 

 feathers on sides of belly with white, or partially white, bases ; 

 lower part of flanks white and brown with some glossy-green ; 

 vent and under tail-coverts white ; axillaries and under wing- 

 coverts dark brown glossed green ; tail-feathers metallic -green 

 with dark brown bases ; wing -feathers : outer webs, part of 

 inner webs and tips metallic-green, inner portions of inner 

 webs brown, two innermost secondaries with inner webs white ; 

 primary-coverts, greater, median and lesser wing-coverts metallic- 

 green, innermost greater and median coverts with their inner webs 

 white. In worn plumage the metallic colour becomes dark purple 

 and when much worn blackish with scarcely any gloss. There 

 appear to be two full moults, one taking place from Aug. to Nov. 

 and another from Jan. -May. There is no difference in summer 

 and winter plumage. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Much like adults but centre of fore-head brown, 

 feathers lightly tipped brownish -white and narrow patch on sides 

 of fore -head brownish -white ; crown and nape less glossed with 

 green ; under tail-coverts conspicuously tipped dark brown. 



Tail of the Needle-tailed Swift 

 (Chcetura c. caudacuta). 



