47 
Ornithology of the Gold Coast. 
all the towns and villages, especially in the larger ones, it 
may be observed flying about houses and large buildings, 
whence the nests may be seen depending in great numbers. 
The castle of St. George d'Elmina is in many parts covered 
with these nests; and the birds are so familiar as to fly about 
the rooms and galleries with the utmost confidence. In the 
open they are generally associated with Hirundo puella and Cyp- 
selus parvus } but the present species usually by far outnumbers 
the others. Their flight is rapid and graceful, but not so 
sharp as that of the English Swift ( C . apus ). They occa¬ 
sionally soar in large flocks to a great height, but more fre¬ 
quently hawk at a moderate distance above the ground. I 
am not aware of the exact number of eggs always laid by 
them; but the nests I had brought to me contained only a 
couple. 
18. Cypseltjs parvus, Licht.: Sharpe, l. c. p. 2 . 
These Swifts are plentiful in the vicinity of Cape Coast and 
Accra. On Connor's Hill, near the former town, they are 
always to be observed in considerable numbers in company 
with other Swifts and Swallows, such as C. affinis , and at 
certain seasons of the year with Hirundo puella and H. rustica. 
This species appears to be fond of frequenting one or two 
Fan Palm-trees on Connor's Hill; and I have not observed it 
to settle on houses, although it makes its appearance in and 
about the town. It flies with great rapidity, and is very quick 
and eccentric in its movements. 
19. ChjETUra ussheri, Sharpe, l. c. p. 2. 
This Swift was first observed by Captain Haynes and my¬ 
self in Fort Victoria, a small fort in the vicinity of Cape 
Coast, whither we had gone one evening to try and kill an 
Hysena, several of which had been reported in the neighbour¬ 
hood. Whilst we were sitting at night in the solitary little 
room of the fort or redoubt, four of these Swifts flew in, and 
we were fortunate enough to secure them all. This happened 
in July 1870; and I never again observed the bird until the 
month of May in the year following, when an officer of the 
detachment stationed in the Castle shot one up there one after- 
