COLLOCALIA. 393 



Upper plumage glossy black with greenish rejections ; rump and upper 

 tail coverts white, the outermost of the latter tipped with black ; abdomen and 

 the under tail coverts which reach to nearly the tip of the tail white ; throat, 

 cheeks and breast pale grey ; flanks and sides of the body blackish. Bill 

 black ; irides dark brown ; legs and feet livid. 

 " Length. 4-25 to 4-5 -inches ; wing 5 ; tail I'S ; bill from gape i. 



ffah N.-W., Central and South India. Jerdon records it from Chyebassa, 

 Darjeeling, Chanda, the Godavery, Coonoor, Neilgherries and Gurhwal. 



963. Hirundinapus caudacuta (Lath.), Jerd. B. ind. \. 



p. 173. Chcetura nudipes, Hodgs., J. A. S. B. v. p. 779. Chaetura leuco- 

 notus, Dcless., Guer. Mag. Zool. pi. 20 ; Gould, B. Australia ii. pi. 10. The 

 WHITE-NECKED SPINE-TAIL. 



Head, back of neck, upper tail coverts, sides of the rump, wings and 

 tail dusky black ; lower neck, breast, and abdomen sooty brown ; back, 

 scapulars, chin, throat, neck in front and on the sides, vent, under tail 

 coverts, a stripe along the thighs and inner webs of the last tertiaries white ; 

 stripe on the thigh mixed with black. Bill black ; irides deep brown ; legs 

 and feet purplish livid. 



Length. 8- 5 inches ; wing 8 ; tail 2. 



Hab. S.-E. Himalayas, Nepaul, Sikkim and Bhootan. Jerdon says he 

 frequently saw them near Darjeeling. often in the station itself, at Kurseong 

 and other places in Sikkim, scattered in vast numbers over a considerable tract 

 of country, and flying with amazing rapidity. Quoting Tickell, who also 

 observed it, he says " it is at once recognized by its great size, and the 

 prodigious swiftness of its movements. It breeds among the huge wall-like 

 crags of the Himalayas and under the snow level. 



Gen. Collocalia> Gray. EDIBLE-NEST-BUILDING SWALLOWS. 

 General characters as in Cypselus ; hind toe pointing backwards ; 2nd quill 

 longest ; tail moderate, even, or slightly forked ; bill very small, much 

 hooked ; feet small. (Jerd.) 



964. Collocalia unicolor, Jerd., B. ind. i, p. 182 ; Hume, Sir. 



F. i. p. 296; ii. p. 493; iv., p. 375 ; vi. p. 50. Collocalia nidifica (Lath.), 

 Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 182. Hirundo brevirostris, McLelland P. Z. S. 1839. 

 Collocalia concolor, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xi. p. 886. The INDIAN EDIBLE- 

 NEST SWIFTLET. 



Glossy cinereous brown throughout, darker on the head, wings and tail ; 

 under surface paler. Bill dark brown ; irides brown. 



Length. 475 to 5 inches; wing 4-5 to 4*75; tail 2*25 to 2-3. Wings 

 reach from I to r2 inch beyond the tail. 



Hab. Java, and the Islands of the Eastern Archipelago. Recorded from 

 Assam, and Sikkim, also from the Himalayas, Neilgherries, and Ceylon. It 



