^6 allen’s naturalist’s library. 
mendous mountains above and the deep valley belovy, with 
the setting sun illuminating the glorious peaks of the hill-tops, 
and throwing into shade the depths lying below my feet. I 
was conscious of an occasional buzz of wings past my face, 
and soon discovered that the roof of the Dak Bungalow was 
tenanted by a colony of the small Indian Swift {Mtcropus 
affinis), who were dashing out every moment with the speed of 
an arrow, or perhaps one might say, with the velocity of a rifle- 
bullet. I had no gun with me — if I had, it would have been 
useless, — but I marked the holes whence the birds came forth, 
and armed myself with a butterfly-net. It is needless to tell 
anyone who has seen these birds in flight that I did iiot catch 
one of them. The fast approaching darkness, which hindered 
my vision, served to sharpen that of the birds, which easily 
1^ 'il 
Sternum of Sternum of 
Ilirundo rustica. Mtcropus apus. 
avoided me, but I shall never forget the pace at which the little 
creatures darted out from beneath the roof of the house and 
whizzed past When I had turned my head they were half-a-mile 
away over the valley, giving just a glimpse of the white band 
on the rump, which enabled me to detect to which species 
they belonged. I am informed by some of my Anglo-Indian 
friends that the flight of M. affinis is as nothing compared with 
that of a Chcetura, to which the term of “greased lightning” 
can easily be applied. _ , 
In addition to the characteristic rapidity of their flight, the 
Swifts further differ from the Swallows, with which they have 
been associated by so many writers, in having only ten tail- 
