SPINE-TAILED SWIFT. 
long struggling party over beach and sea, at 60 to 80 feet elevation ; wind 
S.W., strong, cold. This is my last record, as they have not been seen since, 
and I believe it is the latest date recorded for this migrant.” Since then Mr. 
Dove has forwarded me more notes, all confirming the observations above given 
that these Swifts are commonly seen about the time the weather changes. It 
is an interesting subject and worthy of attention by observers in other parts. 
Mr. Frank Littler also wrote me : “ Usually arrives in Tasmania towards 
the end of summer and it has nearly always been late in the afternoon before 
I have noticed it. Sometimes only a few stragglers appear, circling high in the 
air. At other times it suddenly comes into view in large flocks. I have observed 
it wheeling over Launceston as late as the end of May. When circling in the air 
it has a ver}^ graceful appearance, executing all manner of curves with hardly an 
apparent effort. Sometimes it just skims the surface of the ground, and at others 
it appears as a tiny speck in the sky. The only sound I have heard it utter was 
a sharp cry like that made by the Welcome Swallow when on the wing, only 
louder. Its food is entirely winged insects captured during flight. On March 6, 
1909, a flock passed north at 9.30-10 a.m. against a boisterous north wind. 
My friend Mr. J. M. Thomson, of Cohuna, fifty miles north of here, saw a flock 
at 5 p.m. the same day.” 
Dove, continuing his observations, recorded in the Emu^ Vol. XIV., p. 218, 
1915 : “ Swifts and Weather. In a paper read before the Royal Society of 
Tasmania a few years ago, I endeavoured to trace a connection between the 
appearances of the Spine-tailed Swift {Chcetura caudacuta), both in this State and 
in Victoria, and disturbed weather conditions, showing that, in aU cases which 
had come under my observation, the appearance of this Swift meant atmospheric 
change. This was again strikingly demonstrated on 27th February, 1915, when, 
in the morning, I saw fifty or sixty of these fine birds coursing insects over 
the paddocks near the Don road. The day was sultry, but fine. Soon afterwards 
I met a friend who spends most of his life out of doors, and, like myself, takes 
pleasure in noticing natural objects. I told him that I had seen a large party 
of Swifts for the first time this summer, when he remarked : ‘ Then rain is not 
far off.’ That very evening a light rain began to fall, and practically the whole 
of the following day was wet. Not only so, but for several days afterwards we 
had high winds and showers, culminating on the 7th and 8th of this month 
(March) in a tremendous north-westerly gale, which did a good deal of damage. 
All this disturbance came after months of fine, settled weather. Yesterday, 
9th inst., the Swifts were migrating, passing in twos and threes every few minutes 
from S.E. to N.W. during the afternoon from two until four o’clock. I consider 
this early departure means cold and rough autumn weather. The Tiers, which 
are in view from my ground, are already white with snow.” 
VOL. vn. 
273 
