TACHOBNIS 171 



but replaced in the Assam hills and in Burma by the next 

 species. 



Habits, fyc. This Swift keeps to the neighbourhood of the palms 

 on which it builds its nest. The flight is, as Jerdon says, rather 

 irregular and not very speedy. The nest is attached to the under- 

 side of a palm-leaf, usually to one of those that hang bent down- 

 wards, and consists of a small pocket-like cup, inserted in one of 

 the furrows of the leaf, and made of vegetable down or small 

 feathers glued together by the salivary secretion of the bird. 

 Usually the nest is on the fan-palm (tar or toddy tree), but 

 occasionally on the betel-nut (Areca). This bird breeds probably 

 twice in the year, about March and July in Northern India, but 

 from October to April in Ceylon. The eggs are generally three in 

 number, white, long ovals, measuring on an average '71 by *46. 



1076. Tachornis infumatus. The Eastern Palm-Swift. 



Cypselus infumatus, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 602 ; Hume, Ibis, 

 1870, p. 533 ; Jerdon, Ibis, 1871, p. 355, pi. x ; Walden in Bhjttts 

 Birds Burm. p. 85 ; Hume fy Oates, S. F. iii, p. 44 ; Hume 8f 

 Dav. S. F. vi, pp. 48, 497 ; Hume, Cat. no. 102 bis ; id. S. F. xi, 

 p. 32 ; Bingham, S. F. viii, p. 192 ; ix, p. 149 ; Oates, B. B. ii, 

 p. 4; id. in Hume's N. Sf E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 27. 



Cypselus tectorum, Jerdon, P. A. S. B. 1870, p. 61 ; Godw.-Aust. 

 J.A.S. B. xxxix, pt. 2, p. 94. 



Cypselus minusculus, Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. (2) vii, 

 p. 383. 



Tachornis infumata, Hartert, Cat. B. M. xvi, p. 467. 



Pyan-hhua, Burmese (applied to all Swifts). 



Coloration similar to thnt of T. batassiensis, but much darker, 

 upper parts blackish brown, wing and tail-feathers black above 

 with a slight purplish gloss ; lower plumage smoky brown, throat 

 slightly paler. 



Bill and feet black ; iris brown (Oates). 



Length about 5-2 inches ; tail 2-2 ; wing 4-6 ; tarsus -35 ; tail 

 less forked than in T. l.atassiensis ; the outer tail-feathers exceed 

 the middle pair by '9 inch. 



Distribution. Hill-tracts south of the Assam valley and through- 

 out the Burmese countries, to Southern China, the Malay Penin- 

 sula, Borneo, and Java. 



Habits, <$fc. precisely similar to those of T. batassiensis, this bird 

 haunting palms (Borassus and Areca) and breeding in them. In 

 the Naga and Garo hills, where the people thatch their huts with 

 two layers of palm-leaves, this Swift attaches its nest to the upper 

 side of the leaves in the lower layer. 



