NO. 4. — 1848.] SKETCHES IN NATURAL HISTORY. 89 



most of the year with us, appearing in March and continu- 

 ing till December. It is said that they build in hollow trees.* 

 Acanthylis (Boie.) ; Chcetura (St.). — From Macropteryx 

 we pass to the present genus, containing the largest of our 

 Hirundinidce. Of this also only one species has been dis- 

 covered in the Island, namely, A. caudacuta, Hdo. caudacuta 

 (Latham); Cyp. giganteus (Temp.). This gigantic swift 

 seems confined to Nuwara Eliya, where, according to Lieut. 

 Sillery, c.r.r. (to whom I am indebted for the only speci- 

 men I possess), it flies with amazing velocity. The natives 

 say they build in hollow rhododendron trees which abound 

 on the plain. 



This bird may be easily known by collectors from its 

 large size (being about 9 in. in length) and its spiny 

 tail. Swainson's characters of the genus are as follow : — 

 " Feet as in Macropteryx, but the tarsus longer than the 

 middle toe ; tail short, and even the shafts prolonged into 

 acute points ; the outer tail coverts are white ; the chin 

 also is whitish." 



From this gensu we pass to Cypselus (Illiger), having the 

 tarsus thickly clothed, toes short, and all directed forwards. t 



This is the common Indian Uban swift, but with us it is 

 rare, it having only twice fallen under my notice, and both 

 times in Colombo in the neighbourhood of Slave Island. I 

 do not know that it breeds with us, though it builds in 

 great numbers at Madura. 



* Capt. Tickell. 



f These characters do not apply to the sub-genus Collocalia, in which 

 the feet and legs are naked, and the halux well opposed. (Swainson 

 seems to have omitted this family altogether.) Tail in most instances 

 forked, or indented. The whole tribe are of very uniform colours, — sooty 

 black or brown with glossy tints, sometimes relieved with white on the 

 throat, belly, or tail coverts. Our ascertained species consist of C. 

 affinis (Gray), easily known by its white rump and throat and blacker 

 plumage than any of our other swifts ; length about 5§ in.; expanse of 

 wing 12 in. 



