14 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



makes a very small nest of feathers, mosses and scraps of bark cemented 

 together by the viscous saliva of the bird. The nest is so small that the 

 bird sits upon the branch, and is able to cover the single large white egg 

 with only the end of her belly (Bernstein, J. fur Orn. 1859, p. 183). 



412. MACROPTERYX COMATUS. 



THE TUFTED TREE-SWIFT. 



Cypselus comatus, Temm. PL Col. 268. Dendrochelidon comata, Sclater, 

 P. Z. S. 1865, p. 617 ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 123 ; Hume 8f Dav. S. F. vi. p. 51 ; 

 Hume, S. F. viii. p. 85. 



Description. Male. Lores black ; a narrow line from the base of the 

 culmen continued over the eye to the nape white ; ear-coverts chestnut ; 

 chin and a broad stripe under the ear-co\ 7 erts white ; forehead, crown, nape, 

 throat and the sides of the head metallic blue ; back, rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, sides of the neck, lower throat, breast, abdomen, vent and sides of 

 the body metallic bronze ; under tail-coverts' and the uppermost tertiaries 

 white ; wing-coverts, both upper and lower, metallic blue ; wings and tail 

 brown suffused with deep blue, especially on the outer webs. 



The female differs in having the ear-coverts not chestnut but metallic 

 blue. 



Legs and feet purplish pink ; bill black ; irides dark brown. (Davison.) 

 Length 6'5 inches, tail 3' 2, wing 5, tarsus *3, bill from gape '65. The 

 female is of about the same size. 



The Tufted Tree-Swift was found by Mr. Davison to be rather com- 

 mon in Tenasserim from the extreme south of the Division nearly up to 

 Mergui. 



It extends down the Malay peninsula and into Siam, and it occurs in 

 Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, Timor and the Philippine Islands. 



Mr. Davison remarks : " This species, I found, frequented by preference 

 Tounyahs, or clearings where there were numbers of dead trees standing 

 about, where they could perch and get a good view all round. Sometimes 

 I have seen both species flying about over the top of heavy forest ; as a 

 rule they avoid settling on leafy trees. They are not at all shy birds." 



