48 BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCINTY. 
abounds, and it is to the under-surface of aleaf of this tree that they 
attach their tiny nests. ‘They are composed of fine vegetable down, 
cemented together by the saliva of the birds. The upper edge of the 
rim of the nest (which in shape resembles a watch pocket) is gene- 
rally very hard and cordlike, but the remaining portion of it is much 
softer. The eggs, three in number, are perfect miniatures of those 
of the Common Swift. They are solitary builders, as a rule, gene- 
rally not more than one or two nests being found on the same tree. 
The Palm Roof Swifts (Cypsellus imfumatus) are stated by Dr. 
Jerdon (I have myself never seen one), to attach their nests to the 
palm leaves, used by the people in the Naga Hills to roof their huts. 
The roofs consist of two separate layers, and it is to the upper 
surface of the lower layer that the nests are attached. One of the 
Edible Nest Swiftlets (Collocalia wnicolor) breeds in several places 
on the Nilgiri Hills, as also on the Vingorla Rocks, from whence it 
is stated that one hundredweight of nests are exported every season. 
These nests are, however, much inferior in value to those of C. linchi 
and O. spodiapygia, which are clear white. Both kinds are, how- 
ever, esteemed a delicacy in China and fetch there a good price. I 
will conclude my remarks with an account of the nesting of, per- 
haps, the most interesting bird of all. I allude to the Crested 
Tree Swift (Dendrochelidon coronata), which makes its nest against 
the side of a dead branch, in shape like a very shallow half saucer, 
which can easily be covered by a depreciated rupee, and it ig no- 
where more than one-eighth of an inch in thickness, and is barely 
half an inch in depth. As might be expected, a single egg only is 
laid, which is of a pure glossless white. The nest itself is com- 
posed of thin flakes of bark glued together with saliva. 
My object has been to give a plain description, or rather 
account, of the nesting habits of these, to me, interesting birds, 
and I have avoided the use of scientific and technical terms as much 
as possible, 
