348 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
nests in profusion in June and July.” As late as July 14, he took a 
fully formed egg from a female. 
When twilight begins to fall, he says, “these birds start up into the 
air from everywhere and hawk high, far and wide, hundreds being in 
sight at once. As they pass close at times, one can hear them give 
occasionally a rather soft and tremulous ku-e-r-r-r. As darkness 
comes on they fly lower and lower, until they merely skim the ground 
and low bushes, often alighting for a moment, only to fly on at once. 
Later from all over the mesa comes their many-voiced chorus of calls. 
On moonlight nights they fly much at night, even. At other times 
they rest at night and start out again as soon as dawn begins and 
fly till broad daylight. Indeed, I have seen them over the valley, 
hawking high at ten o’clock in the morning. They arrive here about 
the first of May and most of them leave in October” (MS). 
At Brownsville, Texas, hundreds of Texas Nighthawks are said to 
be found in the city nearly throughout the year nesting on the flat 
roofs of the adobe houses, while in southern California they are reported 
nesting in the vineyards, placing their eggs under or near vines. 
Additional Literature—Van Rossem, A. J., Condor, XXIX, 25-28,1927 (eye 
shine in birds).— Woods, R. S., Condor, XXVI, 3-6, 1924. 
SWIFTS AND HUMMINGBIRDS: Order Micropodiiformes 
SWIFTS: Family Micropodidae 
The Swifts which, like the Goatsuckers and Nighthawks, feed on 
aerial insects, have small, flattened bills, without bristles, but with 
gape reaching below the eyes; powerful chest muscles, wings extremely 
long, thin, and pointed; feet, used only for clinging against vertical 
suifaces, small and weak; plumage compact; sexes alike, and young 
little different. One of their most remarkable structural characters is 
the great development of the salivary glands. In most cases it forms 
a glue by which the materials of the nest are held together (Sclater). 
References.—Oberholser, H. C., and F. M. Chapman, Bird-Lore, XXVIII, 
9-14, 1926 (colored plate XXVII, facing 377, 1925).—' Wetmoke, A., Condor, XXII, 
197-199, 1920 (wing claw in swifts). 
SPINE-TAILED SWIFTS: Subfamily Chaeturinae 
NORTHERN BLACK SWIFT: Nephoecetes niger borealis (Kennerly) 
Description. — Length: About 7-7.5 inches, wing 0.5-7.5, tail 2.3-3. Tail 
slightly forked in adxdi male, ernarginate in female, and rounded in young, feathers soft 
with normal shafts ; leg and toes naked, the hind toe pointing backward. Adult male: 
Mainly sooty-black, chin and throat lighter, wings and tail faintly glossed with 
bluish; forehead and crown hoary, lores velvety black, bordered above with whitish; iris 
dark brown, bill black. Adult female: Feathers of belly and under tail coverts tipped 
with white, which may be lost in greatly worn specimens. Young male in juvenal 
plumage: Plumage dull blackish, feathers tipped with white, especially noticeable on 
