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Habit of 
Swift. 
the Chimney 
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0. E. IIOYI.E. 
ti uweimig nuusc near licit; 111 which whs a cmui- 
ney that had been occupied for many years dur- 
ing the breeding season by several pairs of Swifts. 
Before their return that season, a new house with 
an entirely different arrangement of chimneys 
had been erected in place of the one burned. June 
12, 1 was upon the roof of the new house and was 
much interested in the movements of about a 
hundred Swifts which were in the vicinity. Al- 
most continuously a few of them would fly about 
the chimneys giving them a critical examination, 
then favoring me with an equally close inspec- 
tion, fly away. These peculiar movements were 
continued for about one-half hour, when the en- 
tire flock passed out of sight. Returning again in 
two hours they repeated their previous actions. 
In the town of Woodstock is a woolen mill 
which has been idle for several years. Connected 
with the mill is an immense chimney in which 
countless numbers of Swifts find a home during 
their sojourn here, and rear their young. Good 
judges say there are thousands of them. This 
number does not seem to me an exaggeration, for 
I have seen them when they, literally, poured out, 
and again poured in, fairly making a cloud about 
the top of the chimney. It was a most interest- 
ing sight. 
By the last week in August, the Swifts, and 
different specks of Swallows, have departed for^ 
the South, fa (Q. dfO&SisirCCdA/ , vd/’. 
0.&®. X. May. 1885 . pX 
In studying the habits of the Chimney Swift 
( Chaetura pelagica) I have noticed a very 
peculiar one that I have never seen recorded. 
Thinking that it would be of interest to the 
readers of the O. & O. I will describe it. 
The Chimney Swift is a very close incubator 
and lias to be forcibly disturbed before it will 
leave its eggs. I have noticed that almost in- 
variably upon being so disturbed they would 
drop one or two feet below the nest, to the side 
of the chimney, and after getting firmly 
fastened, they would slowly raise their wings 
over their backs until the tips almost touched, 
and then suddenly jump or spring backward 
and upwards, at the same time beating the 
back of their wings against the opposite side of 
the chimney, producing a heavy muffled sound, 
They repeat this until as near the top of the 
chimney as they dare come when they again 
drop and repeat as before. The way I explain- 
ed it was, that it was an attempt to terrify the 
disturber of its home. q & q. XIII. Nov. 1888 p.164 
S? 
