204 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
thirty-six years' experience of Mortlake birds, it was 
the first of this species he had seen. 
The Nightjar sleeps by day on the ground in 
shady places, and pursues its food in the dusk, hawking 
for the insects which form its food with an erratic 
and wavering yet rapid flight. 
SPINE-TAILED SWIFT 
Chcetura caudacuta caudacuta 
This, the larger and infinitely more numerous of the 
two Swifts which visit us, measures 22 inches across 
the outspread wings. The development of the 
pectoral muscles is very great, as befits a bird which 
passes nine-tenths of its life on the wing. Corre- 
spondingly weak are the muscles of the leg. The 
wing-feathers are set very firmly to the bone, and 
are only detachable with difficulty. The eye is 
black, with pupil encased in a horny case, as with 
the birds of prey. The wings are black, with purple 
and green reflections. Three or four of the wing 
coverts are white on the inner webs, making a strong 
contrast with the rest of the wing. The throat and 
a narrow band on forehead are white ; the under 
tail coverts snowy white, very conspicuous in flight. 
The shaft of each tail feather is carried out free 
of the web for about f inch, and stands out like a 
needle-point. It is from this peculiarity that the 
bird is named. The back is greyish brown, a little 
