Malayan Ornithology. 373 



was a female, 9i inches in length, irides dark brown, legs and 

 feet dark purple, under tail-coverts white, with the feathers 

 dark-shafted ; rest of plumage brownish black, lightest on the 

 back, with a steel-blue metallic lustre on the head, nape, 

 wings^ and upper tail-coverts : the tail consisted of ten fea- 

 thers, with their terminal portions bare and as sharp as 

 needles ; the wings projected 3 inches beyond the tail. 



Cypselus subfurcatus, Blyth. 



Plentiful throughout the Straits. When at Malacca, during 

 the first week in December 1879, I found a colony of these 

 Swifts breeding in the ruined convent which stands on the 

 hill overlooking the town and anchorage. In the early part 

 of the day hundreds of them were flying in and out of their 

 nests of clay and straw, which hung in great clusters of thirty 

 or more under the crumbling arches of the convent-AvindowSj 

 and apparently contained young. The old birds became very 

 much excited at my approach, and made a tremendous noise 

 as they flew backwards and forwards. I Avas told that they 

 commence to build early in November. 



Without a ladder it was impossible to get at the nests ; so 

 I was unable to examine their contents. 



One of this species, which I shot at Singapore on 5th May, 

 out of a flock of six, measured 5i inches in length ; irides 

 dark brown, underparts brownish black, darkest on the back, 

 and slightly glossed with green ; head brownish, palest on the 

 forehead -, chin, throat, and rump Avhite ; underparts brownish 

 black ; tail square. To me this bird seems to answer exactly 

 to Dr. Jerdon's description of the Indian Swift, C. affinis. 



Cypselus iNFUMATUs, Sclat. The Palm-Swift. 



Common in the Straits, Avhere it breeds, affixing its tiny 

 nest to the under surface of the leaves of the palm trees. 

 During the month of July I saw a large gathering of these 

 SAvifts flying round some betel-nut palms bordering the 

 Bukit Timah road, Singapore. They kept up an incessant 

 twitter, every now and then darting under and remaining for 

 some seconds among the leaves, Avhere they evidently had 

 nests, as I could hear the feeble tAvittering of the young birds, 



SER. IV. VOL. V. 2d 



