4 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Pood. — Insects, mostly of fairly large size, taken on the wing ; 

 chiefly diptera, including Tabanidse, Syrphidse, Muscidge and Culi- 

 cida3. As many as 220 have been taken from one bird, including 30 

 Tabanus bovinus. Also lepidoptera (Vanessa cardui, etc.), hymen - 

 optera (Aculeata and Ichneumonidse), coleoptera (Staphylinidse, 

 etc.), neuroptera (Odonata), and also aphides. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — England. — Rare vagrant. About 

 thirty satisfactorily identified from April to Oct. in various parts, 

 but chiefly in southern half, but seven Yorks. and one North- 

 umberland. Wales. — One, Pembroke, Nov. 20, 1908. Ireland. — ■ 

 Four. Scotland. — One caught and afterwards released Ayr, Aug. 

 25, 1892, another believed seen same locality July 28, 1900, one 

 seen Wigtown, July 30, 1915. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — North-west Africa, south Europe to 

 Pyrenees, Alps and Crimea, islands in Mediterranean, Asia Minor to 

 Caucasus, Persia to Turkestan, Himalayas and high mountains of 

 Indian Peninsula, Ceylon. Accidental : northern France, Germany, 

 Heligoland, Denmark and Canaries. Winter-quarters uncertain ; 

 observed in south Arabia and northern Sahara on migration. 

 Replaced by allied races in mountains of tropical and south Africa. 



APUS APUS 



212. Apus apus apus (L.) — THE SWIFT. 



Hirundo Apus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 192 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Cypselus apus (Linnteus), Yarrell, ii, p. 364 ; Saunders, p. 261. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter and summer. — 

 Whole upper-parts black-brown glossed greenish, darker and more 

 glossy on mantle than crown and rump which are rather browner ; 

 feathers of rump and fore -head usually with very narrow and 

 inconspicuous grey tips (usually a few white-tufted filoplumes con- 

 cealed on crown but sometimes a number showing on crown and 

 also mantle and breast) ; chin and throat dull brownish -white, 

 extent of white varies and feathers are usually more or less washed 

 brown and have fine brown shaft-streaks ; sides of throat brown, 

 feathers tipped whitish ; rest of under-parts black-brown with 

 slight greenish gloss, feathers of belly and flanks usually, and those 

 of breast occasionally, with very narrow whitish tips ; under tail- 

 coverts, axillaries and under wing-coverts browner and with 

 more prominent whitish tips ; tail-feathers dark brown glossed 

 greenish ; primaries and primary -co verts same but outer webs 

 glossed darker greenish, secondaries and greater wing-coverts 

 browner, lesser, median and outer greater wing-coverts darker 

 with more purplish -green gloss. This plumage is acquired by 

 moult. The body-feathers often commence to moult in Europe 



