174 



THE ALPINE SWIFT. 



Delamotte say they have found in the nest a transparent viscous mate- 

 rial, probably similar to that mentioned by Wilson in his account of the 

 nest of the American swift (Cypselus pelasgicus, Latham). It has two 

 broods each summer, the first consisting of three to four young, the 

 second seldom more than two. The eggs are longish and white, and 

 the hatching is performed in three weeks. It remains in the high 

 mountains near Modena, according to Ranzani, up till October, but 

 the following account, from the observations made at Gibraltar by 

 Mr. White, renders this, I think, doubtful. 



" This," he says, (t as the common swift, is larger there than authors 

 mention, being nine inches and a half long, twenty two and a half 

 broad, and weighing three ounces and seven eighths. They arrive 

 often as early as the 25th of March, never sooner ; first to be seen 

 about the highest summit, and then proceed further, and several suc- 

 cessions seem to come before they stop there ; often in the beginning* 

 of the season, fly so high as to be out of sight, and known only 

 by their being heard ; during the west winds, always remain on 

 the summit, seen only near the town in a levant wind, on the sudden 

 rising of which they swarm over the whole town among the common 

 swifts ; but after breeding time, although the levant winds blow, they 

 do not come to the town : hence it may be supposed that the reason 

 for their frequenting the town is to collect materials for their nests, as 

 all those shot in the town have had their mouths full of feathers, hair, 

 wool, and such like. The nest is composed in the same loose manner 

 as in the other swift; the eggs are five or six in number, and the 

 young fly in June. They depart usually the first week in August, 

 and great numbers from other parts also congregate here, till the first 

 week in September. The voice is peculiar ; a shrill, jarring, tremulous 

 scream while on the wing, very distinct from the common swift, not 

 unlike the cry of some eagles or hawks ; at other times they twitter 

 like a swallow. The flesh is accounted a delicate morsel, and they are 

 at first coming very fat." 



Spallanzani, in his experiments on torpidity, subjected a young bird 

 of this species to an artificial cold of 8 J degrees below zero, without 

 causing its death. 



It has long been suspected that stragglers occasionally reached this 

 country, and Dr. Latham was told that such had been observed ; but 

 he adds that the evidence was too slight to be trusted as actually proving 

 the fact. The preceding instance is conclusive, independently of the 

 accounts from Ireland. 



Lee, Kent, 23d March, 1833. 



