SWIFT. 



503 



This species is nearly an ounce in weight ; length near eight inches; 

 breadth about eighteen ; the bill is black ; irides dusky ; the whole 

 plumage is black, except the chin, which is whitish ; the wings are ex- 

 tremely long in proportion, and the legs so short that it rises from the 

 ground with difficulty ; the tail is forked ; legs and toes black. It has 

 four toes, all placed forward. In this particular it deviates from one of 

 the characters of the swallow genus. 



The Swift makes its appearance with us later than either of the other 

 species ; seldom is seen till May ; frequents steeples, towers, and other 

 lofty buildings, in the holes of which it makes its nest ; but will some- 

 times build under the tiles of houses and barns. The nest is made of dried 

 grass, lined with feathers, which the birds collect on the wing, sweep- 

 ing it off the ground in a dexterous manner ; for it rarely alights on the 

 ground for any purpose. Like the swallow, it sips the water as it 

 skims over the surface, and at the same time picks up flies therefrom. 

 It lays only two white eggs (Temminck says four) of an oblong shape, 

 larger than that of the swallow ; and while the female is sitting the male 

 is continually flying to and from the spot, making a screeching noise, 

 which is the only note it has. At night both sit upon the nest, or at 

 least roost in the same hole. " The Swift," says Mr. White, of Sel- 

 borne, " is very defective in architecture, making no crust or shell for 

 its nest, but forming it of dry grasses and feathers, very rudely and 

 inartificially put together, and with all my attention to these birds, I 

 have never been able to discover one in the act of carrying in materials ; 

 so that I have suspected that they sometimes usurp those of the house 

 sparrow, and expel them as sparrows do meadow and bank swallows. 



In very warm weather these birds soar to a great height, but in cold 

 or moist weather fly low in search of flies and other winged insects, 

 which at that time cannot ascend. 



* " It has been remarked," says Selby, " that these birds delight in 

 sultry weather, with approaching thunder storms, at such times flying 

 in small parties, with peculiar violence, and as they pass near steeples, 

 towers, or corners of buildings, uttering loud screams, which White, in 

 his Natural History of Selborne, supposes to be a sort of serenade to 

 their respective females. This is fanciful and pretty ; but I should 

 rather be inclined to reason the opposite way, and to consider this ac- 

 tion and cry as the consequences of irritability, excited by the highly 

 electrical state of the atmosphere at such times. The shortness of the 

 legs, and the great length of the wings, render the Swift unable to rise 

 from an even surface ; it is therefore (as if conscious of such inability) 

 never seen to alight on the ground. It can, however, fix itself with 



