749 
Spine-tailed Sivift to Weather Conditions. 
obliquely to one side or tlie other when in flight, sometimes 
moving the wings, especially when rising to a higher 
elevation, but often making long sailing flights on motion¬ 
less pinions, especially when on the downward curve. This 
Swift does not appear to make any call when in flight ; it is 
a silent bird, except that the swish 55 of the long curved 
wings may be heard when it is near. 
On the same day, March 8th, a large party, probably of 
one hundred or more, came apparently from the north-west 
and went through graceful circlings and wheelings high up 
over the wooded hills to the south, where they could be well 
distinguished against the background of dark grey clouds. 
Presently another party arrived, apparently also from the 
north-west, and joined the main body, until the whole 
upper atmosphere seemed full of the graceful wheelings of 
these perfect aeronauts. The wind was at this time light 
from the north-west, but presently shifted to the south, and 
many of the Swifts came back before it to the beach, and 
swooped about after their insect prey at varying heights, 
many quite close to the ground. It should be mentioned 
that the storm of the previous day and night had been from 
the south-east, and had threatened us for three or four days 
before it broke. 
The birds were seen on and off until March 12th, none 
occurring at Devonport after that date up to April 6tli, when 
I left Tasmania for a time. 
Lakes Entrance, East Gippsland, Victoria [Australia ). 
8th Dec. 1910.—A great company of Spine-tailed Swifts 
appeared, this morning for the first time this summer, circling 
and wheeling at heights varying from just above the gum- 
trees to practically out of sight in the blue sky ; they were 
first noticed shortly before 9 a.m. and appeared to come 
from east-north-east, as in the case of the great com¬ 
pany of Wood-Swallows [Artamus tenehrosus) noted here 
on the 5th of Sept., 1910, and recorded in the ‘Emu' for 
October 1910, which continued its migration to the west- 
south-west. On the occasion of this first appearance of the 
