36 CYPSELID^E. 



the line of the upper edge is generally more that of a horseshoe 

 than of a segment of an oval or circle. 



I found the nests capriciously dotted about, par preference in the 

 darkest corners (nowhere out of reach of the hand, for the cave is 

 low), in places a couple of feet apart, in others a dozen clustered 

 together within a diameter of less than this. 



As a rule, each nest was separate and distinct, but in a few cases 

 I found two and even three joined together. 



Mr. W. Theobald writes to me that " this is the species that breeds 

 at Hnettoung, the Bird rocks, off the Arracau coast. I have 

 taken their exquisite nests fresh in March." 



The eggs are, as usual, pure white, more or less cylindrical in 

 shape, devoid of gloss, and slightly larger than those of the pre- 

 ceding species. Two eggs measure 0*8 by 0*52 and O82 by 

 : 53. 



Macropteryx coronatus (Tick.). The Indian Crested Swift. 



Dendrochelidon coronatus (Tick.}, Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 185 ; Hume, 

 Rough Draft N. 8> E. no. 104. 



The Indian Crested Swift breeds freely, to my certain knowledge, 

 in the Sub-Himalayan tract, below Kumaou and Gurhwal, in parts of 

 the Mirzapur District, in the Mandla' District of the Central Pro- 

 vinces (from which locality Mr. K. Thompson sent me an exquisite 

 little nest), in the Xilghiris (whence also I have received its eggs), 

 and Ceylon, and generally, I believe, throughout the warmer parts 

 of India wherever there are extensive forests. 



The breeding-season is from April to June, the place selected is 

 the bare and therefore generally dead branch of some tall forest 

 tree. It is almost impossible to get the egg (for they lay only one) 

 down unbroken. 



I>owe a nest of this species to Mr. E. Thompson, who took it on 

 April 6th, 1869, in the district of Mandla, Central Provinces. The 

 nest contained a single egg, which was destroyed by the fall. The 

 nest is a most wonderful little structure. It is a very shallow half- 

 saucer, composed of thin flakes of bark, gummed, probably by the 

 bird's own saliva, against the side of a tiny horizontal branch. 

 The nest is nowhere more than ^ inch in thickness, is at most 4- 

 inch deep in the deepest part, and can be exactly covered by a 

 half-crown. The parent bird, though slender, is fully 10 inches in 

 length, and consequently the bird when sitting across the nest and 

 the tiny branch to which it is attached completely hides the nest, 

 and 110 one would suspect that there was any nest there at all. 



Mr. Thompson at the time wrote to me as follows : " Den- 

 drochelidon coronata builds a wee bit of a nest with small chips of 

 bark, a few feathers, and all glued together with inspissated saliva. 

 The nest is placed on the side of a horizontal branch, and is en- 

 tirely filled up with the solitary, rather largish, white oval egg. 

 The bird looks for all the world as if she were resting on the branch, 



