108 
THE SWIFT. 
bottom being about five inches in diameter, and the middle about three inches. The material 
of which it is built is dog’s-bane, and the young are defended from the air by a quantity of 
the soft, woolly down that grows on that plant, and it is pressed into the cavity so as to form 
a sort of plug. The nest is usually made within houses, after the common fashion of many 
swallows. 
Devoid of all pretensions to the brilliantly-tinted plumage which decorates so many of its 
relations, and clad only in sober black and gray, the Swift is, nevertheless, one of the most 
pleasing and interesting birds ; resting its claims to favorable notice upon its graceful form, 
and its unrivalled powers of wing. 
There are very few birds which are so essentially inhabitants of air as the common Swift, 
which cuts the atmosphere with its sabre-like wings with such marvellous ease and rapidity, 
that at times its form is hardly discernible as it shoots along, and it leaves the impression of 
a dark black streak upon the eyes of the observer. The plumage of this bird is constructed 
especially with a view to securing great spread, as may be seen by an inspection of the closely 
set and firmly webbed feathers with which the entire body and limbs are clad. The muscles 
which move the wings are enormously developed, and in consequence the breast-bone is fur- 
nished with a remarkably strong and deep “keel.” 
The flight of the Swift is quite peculiar to the bird, and cannot be mistaken even for that of 
the swallow by any one who has a practical acquaintance with the habits of the two species. 
The Swift does not flap its wings so often as the swallow, and has a curious mode of shooting 
through the air as if hurled from some invisible bow, and guiding itself in its headlong course 
by means of its wings and tail. While flying, the Swift makes very great use of its tail, a 
habit which has been admirably described by Mr. Thompson : — 
“It was highly interesting to watch their motions as they flew noiselessly a few yards 
above my head. The tail would at one moment be drawn to a point, the root appear square at 
the end ; would then present a ‘tender fork,’ and the root its full formation ; again, it would 
be expanded to the uttermost, with the feathers simply touching at their margins, and the 
whole tail appearing so membraneous, that the light shone through it; lastly, it would be 
thrown into the form of an arch, which had a singular effect, and generally, when thus exhibited, 
the whole body was like a well-strung bow, an appearance which was several times observed 
with very high interest. Within a few seconds of time all these appearances were assumed by 
the same bird.” 
After making some further remarks on the subject, the same writer proceeds to observe 
that a similar habit is also found in the common swallow, as seen by himself when looking 
down upon the birds from the summit of a hill. “The swallows, as they gently floated on the 
bosom of the air a few yards beneath, exhibited the tail expanded to such a degree, that the 
beautiful white portion towards its base was quite conspicuous ; presenting in this respect so 
great a difference from its ordinary appearance, that I did not feel certain at the moment 
of their being our own common bird.” 
There are few hours of the day when this ever active bird may not be seen on the wing, 
employed either in sport with its companions, or in pursuit of the insects on which it feeds, and 
of which it carries such numbers to its young. Several authors have said that the Swift prefers 
the morning and evening for its aerial evolutions, remaining quietly in the dusky recesses where 
it has built its nest during the fierce heat of the summer’s noon. The bird is also reported to 
retire to the same retreat while rain falls and wind blows, and to rest at home until the weather 
changes for the better. As far as my own personal observations go, both these assertions 
are too sweeping, if not entirely erroneous. The Swift has a special love for the bright beat 
of a July noon, but it must be sought, not near its usual haunts, but far up in the sky, where 
it may be seen like a little black mote against the blue heavens, and hardly visible except 
to experienced observers. 
As to the alleged habit of keeping under cover during a storm, it has been decidedly con- 
tradicted by Mr. Thompson, who has observed the Swifts engaged in the pursuit of their prey 
during stormy as well as in fine weather. I am able to contradict this assertion from the 
