44 
Allen’s naturalist’s library. 
coverts, the innermost secondaries conspicuously paler, whitish 
on the inner webs ; crown and nape, as well as the sides of 
the head, glossy blackish-brown ; forehead and lores white ; 
under surface of body sooty-brown, with white bases to the 
feathers of the lower abdomen and lower flank-feathers, the 
latter being glossy blue-black ; throat white ; vent and under 
tail-coverts also white ; under wing-coverts blackish-brown, 
with a slight metallic gloss ; bill black ; feet brown. Total 
length, 8 inches ; culmen, o’3S ; wing, 8’2 ; tail, 2‘3 ; tar- 
sus, o 6. 
Adult Female, — Similar to the male, but slightly smaller. 
Young, — Similar to the adults, but with less white on the 
forehead, and to be distinguished by some brownish spots on 
the under tail-coverts. 
Range in Great Britain. — A rare and occasional visitor, having 
only been met with on two occasions, both in the middle of 
summer. One was shot at Great Horkesley, near Colchester, 
on the 8th of July, 1846, and another towards the end of July, 
1879, near Ringwood in Hampshire. In the latter case, two 
were observed flying for some days over the River Avon. The 
species has not been obtained anywhere else in Europe, and 
the Needle-tailed Swift is apparently one of those birds which, 
for some reason or other, sometimes wanders westward, out of 
the ordinary course of its migrations. 
Eange outside tlie Britisli Islands. — The breeding range of this 
species extends from the neighbourhood of Krasnoyarsk in 
Siberia eastwards to Amoorland and South-eastern Mongolia, 
as well the northern islands of Japan. In winter it migrates 
by way of China to Australia. 
Hatits, — Very similar to those of our Common Swift. It 
arrives in its northern quarters about the end of April or the 
beginning of May, and departs in August, a few staying on till 
September. On migration vast flocks are often seen. Its 
powers of flight are prodigious, and it is often noticed at a 
great height in the air. It also visits the lowlands in the 
vicinity of the mountain f islnesses in which it breeds, and is 
there noticed hawking over the ground in company with other 
Swifts. 
