236 Catalogue of the Birds [April 



Col. Sykes to say in his Catalogue •' so rare in the Deccan that I have 

 only obtained 2 specimens." It is found in all districts of India, but 

 in these is often confined to a small tract in the neighbourhood of some 

 few laige pagodas, large old choultries, and other similar buildings. 

 In the Climatic it is common at Madras, at the rocky fort of Trichino- 

 poly, and very numerous at the large pagodas of Madura, among which 

 their nests are thickly crowded. On the west coast I saw it on several 

 occasions, chiefly among rocky hills, but only observed it twice or 

 thrice throughout the whole length of the table land from the Tapoor 

 pass to Jaulnah, and then but few in number. At this latter place, 

 however, it is very common, breeding in some old choultries and other 

 buildings. It seldom, I think, takes a very long range from its breed- 

 ing placet. It builds its nest in company always, often thickly crowd- 

 ed together, placing them in corners and crevices of old buildings, 

 and forming them of clay, profusely mixed with straw, grass, feathers 

 and other soft substances, of which they appear externally to be en- 

 tirely composed. During the night they roost in their nests, four or 

 five often o icupying the same one, as I observed in the celebrated choul- 

 try at Ajunteh. 



The eye of this Swift is deeply seated, the eyebrow overarches it, 

 and a ridge continuous with the eyebrow extends along the gape. 



Length about 5£ ; wing beyond H ; from flexure 5 ; tail 1 T V ns - 



256. — C. palmarum, Hardw., Gray and Hardw. 111. I. Zool. — Balas- 

 sian Sirift, Lath. 



This little species is common in all the districts of India, except on 

 the hare table land, wln-re it is rare. As its name implies, it frequents 

 groves of palms, especially the palmyra ( Borassus fabelliformis J, and 

 does not in general fly to any distance from them. It is very abundant 

 in the Carnatic. According to Hardwicke it builds its nest on the leaf 

 of ill* 1 palm. 



Length 5| ; tail 2i ; wing 4\. This bird is said in some works to be 

 nocturnal. I need hardly add that such is not the case. 



Genus MACROPTERYX, $w.— Swallow -tailed Swift. 



257. — M. longipeniiis. — C. longipennis, Temm. P. C. pi. 83.— Hit: 

 Kledio, Horsf. — Crested long-winged Swift. 



This very elegant Swift is only found in the South of India, in high 

 forest jungle in the neighbourhood of hills. I have seen it in Goom- 

 soor, at the foot of the Neilgherry hills, and in various parts of the 



