"The Swift, like swallows in many respects, their structure is almost entirely different, and some naturalists rather class them with the humming birds or the goat suckers. The swift has all four toes directed forward; it is larger than the swallow; its flight is more rapid and steady; and its scream is very different from the twittering of the swallow. Its weight is most disproportionately small to its extent of wing, the former being scarcely an ounce, the latter 18 inches, the length of the body beinig about 8 inches. Its color is a somber or sooty black, a whitish patch appearing beneath the chin. It builds in holes in the roofs of houses, in towers, or in hollow trees. A common North American swift is the so-called chimney swallow, which builds its nest in chimneys."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Common Swift

"The Swift, like swallows in many respects, their structure is almost entirely different, and some naturalists…

"The coloration of the twenty or more species of Cypselus is sooty-black or mouse-brown, frequently exhibiting a metallic gloss, while the collar, rump, abdomen, or edges of the feathers may be white. A forked tail is not uncommon. The common Swift, or Deviling of Britain, is found through Europe, North Africa, and Asia, southwards t the Himalayas, migrating to South Africa, Madagascar, and Southern Asia." A. H. Evans, 1900

Common Swift Flying Through the Air by a Structure and a Tree with its Mouth Open

"The coloration of the twenty or more species of Cypselus is sooty-black or mouse-brown, frequently…