THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Mr. H. S. Dove, of West Devonport, Tasmania, sent me a series of valuable 
notes at various dates : “ May 6, 1911 : Have any of your correspondents 
gone into the connection of the Spine-tailed Swift with atmospheric disturbance ? 
Years ago, at Mount Bischoff, North-west Tasmania, I remarked that this 
species would often make its first appearance at the tail of a summer cyclone, 
flying leisurely at a considerable altitude as the clouds dissipated. Recently I 
have made a good many entries on the subject, the results showing that if bad 
weather is not actually existent when the Swifts appear, it will certainly foUow 
in a day or two. This may be worth mentioning, so that eventually some 
fight may be thrown on the habits of this curious bird. Thus : Cuninghame, 
E. Gippsland, Victoria, Dec. 8, 1910. Great ^company of Spine-tailed Swifts 
suddenly appeared this morning for the first time this season, circling and wheeling 
at heights varying from the tree-tops to practically out of sight in the blue. 
They were first noticed shortly before 9 a.m. and appeared to come from E.N.E. 
On 10th and 11th December more companies of Swifts appeared, some passing 
within a few yards of the ground with a great swish of the long wings. The 
weather was fine during these appearances, but the following week we had high 
rough winds and rain, like equinoctial weather. Near the end of the same 
month (Dec.) two companies of Spine- tails were seen, before and after stormy 
days. On Jan. 6, 1911, in the midst of a thunderstorm, a company of these 
birds was seen making to the N.E., the wind at the time being N.W. Going up 
the Tambo River, E. Gippsland, on 1st Feb., 1911, many Spine-tails were seen 
flying backwards and forwards, some fairly low ; exceedingly hot, fine day, but 
two days after there was a heavy blow from the eastward. On Feb. 8, a fine 
bright morning, fight easterly breeze, a large number of Spine-tails seen high in 
the air ; on morning of 9th rain fell steadily, and on 10th heavy squalls, wind 
and rain. West Devonport, Tasmania: March 11, 1911: Numbers of Spine- 
tails appeared on 8th, 9th, and 10th inst. during disturbed, thundery weather 
with rain ; great floods in Victoria and parts of Tasmania. March 20 : 
Spine-tails again appeared, rain almost the whole day : the birds passed leisurely 
from west to east at a good elevation. April 16, 1911 : Perfect morning, 
sunny and genial, fight sea breeze. On beach with friend, when we remarked 
Spine-tails flying over the scrub near beach, and I said : ‘We shall soon have a 
change in spite of the cloudless sky.’ That night masses of cumulus cloud 
appeared in the eastern sky, gradually worked up overhead, and resulted in a 
heavy downpour. (The birds seen in the morning were making towards the 
west, the breeze being off sea, about N.E., fight). April 25 : This afternoon 
a number of the Spine-tails were flying over the beach to the N.W., at a height of 
perhaps 80 feet, apparently migrating; weather cold, showery, squally, wind 
veering N.W. to S.W. April 27: More Spine-tails flying towards N.W. in 
