12 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
Genus MACROPTERYX, Swains.^ 
410. MACROPTERYX CORONATUS. 
THE INDIAN CRESTED TREE-SWIFT. 
Hirundo coronata, Tick. J. A. S. B. ii. p. 680, xv. p. 21. Dendrochelidon 
coronata, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 617 ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 185 ; Hume, Nests 
and Eggs, p. 92 ; id. S. F. iii. p. 45 ; Hume Sf Dav. S. F. vi. p. 51 ; Legge, Birds 
Ceylon, p. 328 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 85 ; Parker, 8. F. ix. p. 476. Macro- 
pteryx coronatus, Bl. B. Burm. p. 86 ; Wardlaiu Rafnsag, Ibis, 1877, p. 458. 
Description. — Male. Lores and a narrow space round the eye black ; a 
very narrow and indistinct line over the eye white ; chin^ moustache and ear- 
coverts chestnut ; the whole upper plumage and the sides of the neck ashy^ 
tinged with metallic green on the forehead, crown and the longer upper 
tail-coverts ; lower plumage paler ashy, turning to white on the abdomen, 
vent and under tail-coverts ; wing-coverts metallic blue ; quills brown, 
suffused with bluish green ; tertiaries albescent ; tail metallic greenish 
brown. 
The female differs in having no chestnut whatever on the head, the ear- 
coverts being dark brown, and the chin and moustache ashy like the 
throat. 
Bill black; mouth flesh-colour; eyelids plumbeous; iris dark brown; 
legs pinkish brown ; claws black. In some the iris is reddish hazel. 
Length 9 inches, tail 5*2^ wing 6*3, tarsus '3, bill from gape '8. The 
female is of the same size. 
The Indian Crested Tree- Swift is spread over the whole of British 
Burmah, except the southern portion of Tenasserim, where it has not yet 
been met with. Capt. Bingham states that it is common in the Thoung- 
yeen valley, and Capt Wardlaw Ramsay met with it in Karennee. It is 
abundant over the whole of Pegu and probably also in Arrakan, and 
appears to be resident. 
It occurs in Siam^ but not_, so faj as is at present known, in the Malay 
peninsula. It is probably a resident in all the Indo-Burmese countries. 
It is recorded from numerous localities in India, and it extends into 
Ceylon. 
This Swift is confined to forests and well- wooded localities. It is some- 
* The name Dendrochelidon is said to have been given by Boie to these Tree-Swifts 
in the ' Isis ' for 1828. I have carefully searched this volume for it, but imsuccessfuUy. 
Mr. Gray (Gen. Birds, i. p. 54) also states that he has been unable to find the place where 
this name was given. In the ' Isis ' for 1844, Boie assigns the date of 1832 to the genus, 
but without referring the reader to the work in which it was described. 
