Birds of the Indian Hills 



are blue with faint black cross-bars. The back 

 is glistening pale blue and the tail blue of 

 darker hue. The wings are greenish blue. 

 The sides of the head are gaily tinted with 

 red, blue, black, and white. The lower parts 

 are rusty red. The bill is black and the feet 

 coral red. The beautiful white-breasted king- 

 fisher {Halcyon smyrnensis) — the large blue 

 species with the chocolate-coloured head and 

 white breast — occurs on the Nilgiris at all ele- 

 vations, but is not nearly so abundant as its 

 smaller relative. 



THE CYPSELID^ OR SWIFT FAMILY 



Four species of swift are to be seen on the 



Nilgiris ; two of them are the fleetest birds in 



existence ; these are the alpine swift {Cypselus 



melba) and the brown-necked spine-tail 



{Chcstura indie a). The former progresses 



with ease at the rate of i oo miles an hour : 



the latter can cover 125 miles, while the former 



is flying 100. If we poor human beings were 



possessed of the motive power of swifts we 



should think nothing of flying to England on 



ten days' casual leave. This may be possible a 



few years hence, thanks to the aeroplane ; but 

 216 



