420 
HIRUNDINIM. 
scream, nowise resembling the long-drawn and shrill cry of the com- 
mon species. Towards the end of May, I saw a few alpine swifts at 
Constantinople, wheeling about the heights of Pera, and near the 
high tower of Galata, in which they probably build. In the 
month of June, I met with this species at the island of Paros, 
and about the Acropolis at Athens. Throughout this tour, the 
common swift was more frequently seen than the Cl aljoinus , and 
at one locality only did they both appear ; — this was at Constan- 
tinople, where the former species was abundant, and a few of the 
latter were observed. This seemed rather remarkable, as in no 
scene did I meet with the one species, in which the other would 
not have appeared equally at home. The only difference in their 
habits which struck me, was, that the alpine swift is apparently 
more partial to cliffs than buildings, the common swift more 
partial to artificial structures than to rocks. 
As but little has been written on the alpine swift, the following 
interesting extract from Captain S. E. Cook's Sketches in Spain, 
is introduced : — - 
“Cypseltjs Alpinus.- — W ere living at the Breche de Roland, 
skimming the glaciers in July. I could not ascertain whether 
they bred in the mural precipices there, or below in the villages. 
I never saw them in Spain, excepting at Merida, where they were 
in April, in company with innumerable martins and others of the 
tribe flying very low, with a note not unlike some of the terns 
(Sterna) . When high in the air, as I have seen them in descend- 
ing the Rhine, they have a loud and melodious whistle. I have 
heard they were not uncommon in Catalonia, but I never met 
with them, probably from their habit of going to feed at vast 
heights and distances in the day time, which prevents their being 
seen. They arrive at Naples at the end of March, and then fly 
low. I believe they depart early/' — vol. ii. p. 276. 
