T he generic; characters here inserted show1 the difference
■which exists in the structure of the foot and in the wing of
the Swift as compared with' the same parts ;i>n the three
species of the genus Hirundo. prePÉolfcÉv described. The
great extent of wings, moved as they- aref0Sy Very large and
powerful muscles, afford that decided power -of flight which
all have witnessed ; -and th'ê rangé of th^tbes, all four bf
which are turned to the fronts assist these birds materially
when climbing within the narrow apertures which tKejpselect
for their nesting-places* ,
The Swîft ycômeS :to this -country from Africa, and'wrrosk
probably by the-same route as' that pursued; by thê';Swall()wi
and the Martin ; it generally appears èatly- in May,&and
without nrote- variation ' than is tfeerVed- in the" fllli val of Hike
other specîps of this family;, but the greater-vpart ofdfihem
leaving us again by- thp middle' of A l i g n s t , - ' t h e r e
seldom much exceed»1 three months. Swifts ''h&yêf%éen‘ found
to return to the-districts, and-evemto thef^fefê, thef?ha|fi
inhabited d mingl previous .seasons^ as th%4foîlo wing-paragraph
will -show : — “ I t Hs” a ‘"remarkable' facfj” ^saysr Dr. Jenisër$*
“ that the Swallow tribe, jm d probably many other llmls'l
which absent ' themselves at -Stated" peri<^5'. shoUW \return
annually to thefsamekspOt ' te^wurld ’their h dits’.. - Th^-pwif#,'
which fo r nine-. monthS’dras som’d''distant Region to roarrrin,
was selected for the purpose of an- experîieTent'to'ûscerfcain
this with precision. At a farm-house in Hhi^n^hfenrHoodi.
(Berkeley, G1 ouctestérshire,) I -procured several Svn#sf mût by
taking off twoiclaws from the foot of twelye,^I'fixed dp on
them mi indelible mark. -The yeaj_iollowing their nesting-
places were examined in an evening when they- had retired
to roo st,an d there I found'-several c^^heL^mWked-sbkrds.
The second and third, year a similar search* was made^fejd
did not fail to produce some^of those jWhich W^e.marked. I
now eeâieê to make an annual search, but at'the> expiration
ïófi’iseven years, a cat was seen to bring a bird into the farmer’s
kitchen,- aind this-'also proved to be one óf those marked
foriftbe experimentrl®
- 'Thedsiwift choose»^for its nesting-place cavities under the
eayeSy of?%ojufe(ls»,' holeswabout steeples, or in the old walls
of lofty towers).-and in- high windy days will remain for hours
in its retreat,. motionless^: and in the dark. How great is
theiis&ontrast whenaNfé other 'occasibns it is seen .darting rapidly,
or*wh§ëllÉS in »oircles,* and-'Screaming aloud, while-in
}5ur s ^ i n s e a t : one. time .sailing with ease and
ple$Nfc^>at amielevation- wJsere 4km bird is scarcely perceivable,^
and^at-another passing the; aigre^of a building, as has
beèhklobseryed^jwitk * i |É alm ost4m\foBceivable, swiftness pf a
.mrelrë,drff> Great&power oft; vision seems# indispensable both
omM'eftbdbird%t;©^bt“ain:i it&-de,<fd| as- well .'as to insure its
sakUy^undif^such-rapid* .lip^ëtóents,; nor is even this power
alé^^sistóS’^ienti.'to guard against 2 accident: a-p Swift on
cfigu,-ving A\asi&elcuidiiii‘it>syfli^i.t t#4sbCc‘arried against a wall,
it w^pl^ié'd« upL,§iubmg$f|and. died;/almost 'immediately ill
tfcfe kand'^fith^ÉyHsèr.y ert'.J
The1- fermedfeof bits ?of straw, dry blades of grass and
bents, bits oft ragy and a?; few feathers, .-and .being used. for
yearsfiiii^felüicTeess^Dn; lia ^ tfe appearance mf being much com-
J»e^evd, and - 5the Various g materials, fseem- glu ed, < togèther by
^M^ai^or!.som'e,Ai^uk‘tsec^tiönv which is ».supposed to.be
dfep^si^ed t b y . thé si birds*» th$n|se%is^f Swifts are generally
c©hsidered‘s^lay^b'p|jtwlo^eg;gélli^ but Mr. Salmon has found
■ t h a t , lprddfi.Ce thrée,f^and sometimes#.even four eggsi
ThjOse are white-, and rather large,; measuring one inch in
length, by* eight lines -in breadth. The young,rare not
hatched#rli;idfowards the','end of June,» and there: is reason to
jgbgpèctthat' theysarë^gl.dw.' of growth : they do pot leave thé
n e s t ] t i l l J u l y , sometimes still later. ,j Thé youngs
'.though zealous!ydld%by rthe; parent birds while they remain