BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



Ins brown ; bill 'black ; mouth flesh-colour ; feet pinkish ; claws dark 



b0& 



Length 7'25 inches, tail 3'3, wing 7'3, tarsus '45, bill from gape '8. The 

 female is of the same size. 



A closely allied species is C. leuconyoc, which differs chiefly in being 

 smaller, the wing usually not exceeding 6*2 inches. It occurs in some 

 parts of India. 



I observed the White-rumped Barred Swift at various localities in the 

 Pegu Division, and Mr. Davison met with it in the southern half of 

 Tenasserim. Birds of such immense power of flight as these Swifts are, 

 however, not likely to be local ; and I have no doubt that this fine Swift 

 will be found to occur not only over the whole of Tenasserim, but also 

 over the whole of British Burmah. 



This species is met with, according to season, from Siberia and Japan 

 down to Australia. Materials for tracing its migrations are, however, 

 wanting. Its western limit in Siberia, so far as is at present known, is 

 Lake Baikal, where it meets C. apus. Further south its western limit is 

 Cachar and Tipperah. 



These Swifts are found in large flocks, generally flying at a vast height. 

 I have only once seen them, in the course of many years, flying low 

 enough to be within gunshot. I have noticed them during the greater 

 part of the year, but I do not think that any remain in this country to 

 breed. Their breeding-haunts appear to be the islands off the coast of 

 Southern China ; here Mr. Swinhoe observed them nesting in the holes of 

 houses, often under eaves, and in many places in the crevices of rocks. 



402. CYPSELUS SUBFURCATUS. 

 THE WHITE-RUMPED BLACK SWIFT. 



Cypselus subfurcatus, Bl. J. A. 8. B. xviii. p. 807 ; Swinhoe, Ibis, 1863, p. 254; 

 Sclater, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 602 ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 118 ; Hume, S. F. ii. p. 524; 

 David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 69; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 47; Hume, S. F. 

 viii. p. 84; Kelham, Ibis, 1881, p. 373. Cypselus leucopygialis, Cass. Proc. 

 Ac. Phil. v. p. 58. 



Description. Male and female. Chin, throat and fore neck dull white, 

 the shafts brown ; a band across the rump white, the shafts inconspicu- 

 ously dark ; with these exceptions the whole plumage is very dark blackish 

 brown, the head, back and abdomen being nearly pure glossy black. 



The legs and feet vary a good deal; in one male and one female these 

 parts were fleshy, tinged on the toes and claws with dark brown; in the 



