THE SWALLOWS AND SWIFTS. 39 



Ptyoprogne concolor. The first word ought to be 

 hooted down, but concolor is good, for the bird is of 

 one colour, and that is the colour of smoke. There 

 is a little, round, white spot on each feather of the 

 tail, but this is hardly noticeable. The Crag Martin 

 loves rocks and makes its nest on them, under 

 some overhanging ledge ; the material is of course 

 mud, with feathers for a warm lining. The season 

 is either just before or just after the monsoon, 

 and it lays three or four white eggs, speckled with 

 brown. It is common about Malabar Hill and 

 spends much of its time flying up and down the face 

 of the cliffs under The Ridge. It is not remarkable 

 for swiftness or grace of flight. In fact, I should not 

 say that it was remarkable for anything. It is a 

 commonplace bird. 



But the most abundant and familiar of this whole 

 family in Bombay itself is the Palm Swift (Cypselus 

 batassiensis), which in other parts of t{ie Presidency 

 is a very rare bird. The reason may be found in 

 its name. It cannot live without palm trees. Any 

 palm will not do ; it requires the Brab, or Tar, palm ; 

 for it cannot think of any situation for its nest except 

 one of the wrinkles on the underside of the broad leaf 

 of this tree. I have indeed seen a pair trying to ac- 

 commodate themselves about a cocoanut tree, but they 

 were in difficulties. As may be inferred, the Palm 

 Swift is a bird of small intellect, a feeble creature 

 indeed in all respects. Even its flight is feeble for 

 a Swift, and it seldom wanders far from home. Conse- 

 quently it is an unknown bird in the Deccan general- 

 ly and in large tracts of the Konkan, and if ever you 

 do see it you may safely lay odds that there is a Brab 



