St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-11-14
BIRDS IN CALIFORNIA.



II the Flyers.
II rarity il an index to interest the
swifts are entitled to the highest re-
gard among the rare and interesting
birds of California, for. in addition t0
their rarity, they are among the most
difficult Of tie feathered tribes to cap.
ture. This is due to two causes. First,
they inhabit only the most inaccessible
places in the rocks, where it is almost
impossible for man to get at them.
and consequently there is only little
known of their habits or of their nests
and eggs. SECOND. - theiT name indi.
Gates, xhey arepsob&bfrtke host rapid
of all birds. in their moyemsatss having
exceedingly long wings with sharp
edges, enabling them to fly with the
greatest velocity and at the same time
offering the least resistance to the air.
Taken all in all, they are birds which
seem primarily adapted to powerful
flight and long endurance. This. in one
way, is attested by. their legs and feet.
which are exceedingly small and unde-
veloped for birds of their size, the prob.
able explanation being that through
disuse these members have become
smaller and weaker, until now the re-
duced size of the legs has become one
of the chief characteristics Of the bird.
The wings ere SO long that when at rest
they almost cross at the tips, while the
mouth. like most Of the other members
of the tribe. including the night hawk
and goatsucker. is very large in proper
ton to the size of the bird, enabling il
to catch insects on the wing with al
most unerring accuracy. The bill. like
the legs. is very small. as the method
of securing food does not require much
use of it, and it. too. has probably grown
smaller through disuse.
The strangest experience ever had
with the swifts was last year, while
fishing in the mountains Of San Diego
county, where l came on flock Of
about 20 circling high overhead. They
came nearer and nearer the ground, un-
til suddenly darting up the canyon one
by one, they disappeared behind wa.
terfall which tumbled so feet from an
overhanging rock. On closer examina-
ton found some Of them clinging to
the spray-bespattered rocks behind the
falls. while others had disappeared en-
tirely behind the overhapging bowl
ders. Probably this rock had earlier in
the season sheltered their nests. After
watching them for half an hour aud
making them fly in and out by throw
ing stones Mt them through the falls
I returned to camp and next day came
back, this time with my gun. waited
half an hour without a sign of the birds
being seer. when suddenly two SKINNED
out from under the rock, and going by
me like flash of lightning disaprearcd
down the canyon. sat down aud
waited for fully an hour. when one re-
turned, as fast as it had left, and flying
behind the falls it chung to the face Of
the wet rock. 1t was but the work Of a
moment to bring up my gun, and. firing.
saw it drop into the pool below, where
fished it out with stick.
Now the strangest thing Of all hap
pened. AS my specimen was lying on
the top of an immense granite bowldcr,
where had placed it to dry. the mate
returned, but no sooner had it flown
over where was sitting than it hut-
tered to the ground and fell over back
ward into the stream. Wheat picked Il
up I w3s spfEffetlE fatounded. and, ex-
aiming Il, found that IL was very thin.
its stomach being entirely empty. while
its mate, the nndfe, had been well sup
piled, having in its stomach So black
tree ants and three winged beetles.
Probably the mother bird. weak from
hunger. had succumbed to her exertions
and fell fainting in the streams San
Francisco Examiner.