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Dr. Richmond has examined three specimens of the new palm 
swift and I am glad to have his opinion before giving it a name. 
He says: “I have compared the specimens with two skins of 7. 
infumata from Trong, Lower Siam, and find that they have shorter 
tails, and are generally lighter in color on the underparts, especially 
on the throat. This difference is not great, but it is very evident, 
and sufficient, I think, to warant the separation of the Philippine 
bird.” 
Tachornis is easily recognized, when in the hand, by the deeply 
forked tail and the peculiar arrangement of the toes, which are in 
pairs, two on each side of the median tarsal line, while in Salangana 
the toes are disposed normally, three in front and one behind. 
Although these two genera are very distinct it is well-nigh impos- 
sible to distinguish their members on the wing, for their coloration 
and size are very similar. This does not refer to the smaller 
Salangane, the Philippine species of which possess distinctive white 
markings. It is no great wonder then that the presence of T'achornis 
in these Islands has been overlooked for a long time. 
The species was not uncommon in the two localities recorded, 
but on account of its high flight specimens were taken with dif- 
ficulty. When it was first seen in Tarlac Province I felt sure of 
its identity, but I can not say how it may be recognized on the 
wing. ‘The flight is perhaps more deliberate than in the larger 
species of Salangana and a glimpse of the deeply forked tail is 
enough to settle the question. 
Should the Philippine bird turn out to be the same as the 
Bornean form, it would have to be called infuwmata, since Cypselus 
infumatus of Sclater comes from Borneo, and the Siamese bird 
would require another name. 
SALANGANA LINCHI (Horsf. and Moore). 
Linch’s swifts were frequently seen feeding near Irisan, Benguet, 
but never in company with other species. Whitehead’s swifts 
hawked in the open and frequently passed over our camp in small 
companies, while the Linch’s swifts were almost invariably found 
darting in and out among the branches of pines. On one occasion 
I saw a bird collecting nesting material from a pine limb. For 
a long time we were puzzled as to where the smaller species nested, 
and when an Igorrote lad told us that it nested on the ground I 
