THREE UNPUBLISHED PAPERS BY BLYTH. 313 



2nire tvhite egg. Unlike those built in the cold season of the 

 pappus of the Bombax, this is composed almost wholly of feathers, 

 with a little admixture of pappus or vegetable down of some 

 other very different plant, and most firmly agglutinated to the 

 under surface of a Borassus frond by what assuredly looks like 

 glistening and inspissated saliva. The structure, as in the nest 

 before described, is remarkably firm and compact. 



A. SYLVATiCA, Tickell, J. A. S. xv. 284.* — Much smaller than 

 the two preceding species, having the wing but 4| in. ; the entire 

 length from tip of bill to end of tail, 4^ in. Details of structure 

 as in the last species ; the wiry tips to the shafts of the rectrices 

 well developed. Colour : above blue-glossed black, with a white 

 rump ; belly pure white, the feathers dark-shafted ; rest of the 

 under parts iron-grey, with a dash of ashy brown. Bill, iris, and 

 legs brown. 



Hab. Central India; and also the S.E. Himalaya. Accord- 

 ing to Capt. Tickell this species, as observed in Central India, 

 " haunts open cultivated grounds in the midst of forest ; also the 

 cleared patches on the sides and summits of the hills. It is 

 common, but local ; gregarious and noisy ; being often seen in 

 company with Cypselus melba.'" [Non vidi). 



Genus Collocalia, G. E. Gray (Swiftlets). 

 These are true Cypseli in structure, but comparatively feeble, 

 having the first quill shorter than the second, and the wings and 

 tail broad, the tail especially much resembling that of a Humming- 

 bird, with its feathers of even length or nearly so. The feet and 

 naked tarsi resemble those of Acanthyllis, having the hind-toe 

 well opposed ; but are comparatively slender, though of pro- 

 portionate strength to the rest of the conformation. The breast- 

 bone and its ridge remain incompletely ossified. Not more than 

 three species appear to be known, though perhaps others require 

 discrimination ; they are of small or minute size, and are confined 

 in their geographic distribution to the Indian, Indo-Chinese, and 



* Capt. Tickell suggests the identity of this species with Chcetura Sabini, 

 Gray, clescribecl in Griffith's edition of the ' Animal Kingdom,' vii. 70, as 

 " Bluish black, belly and ri;mp white ; Africa." And with this Mr. G. E. 

 Gray identifies Clicetura hicolor, Gray, Zool. Misc., p. 7, which description 

 we have not seen. 



ZOOLOGIST. — AUGUST, 1884. 2 B 



