THE MALAYAN CHESTED SWIFT 
on a hi^h branch there thus seems no way of knowing whether 
she is sitting on a nest or not, and even when she flies off it 
would need a good glass to detect the small nest weil above 
one. 
Several other swifts can be seen more or less comrrionly 
in Singapore. 
The small Malayan spine- tailed swift (CheEUita leu cop j- 
glalis) is not uncommon in the rural districts where it may be 
seen flying^ over water, perhaps the sea, in the evening. It is 
a tiny blackish bird with a greyish-white rump, A much larger 
species of Chcstura a!so visits Singapore but it is erratic in its 
appearances and we have discovered little about it. 
At times also, in the evening chiefly, flocks of small and 
dark' looking swifts appear in flocks in the sky, These are 
mostly the "edible-nest swifts'' or swiftkts of the genus 
Coltocalia of which at least two species occur in Singapore. 
Another very similar species is the eastern palm-swift 
(Tachornis battassiensis infuwata) which on the wing looks 
identical with the swiftlets. It makes a tiny cup-like nest which 
is attached to the underside of a palm leaf. The tiny all-black 
swifts seen in the town gardens are usually examples of this 
palm-swift. 
The tufted tree-swift {Hemiprocne comata) is another 
fairly common local swift. It has habits very like those of 
H. ]. Imriertl and is met with in similar situaLionSp but in 
Singapore seems rather less conmion than its larger relative. 
H. comata is a slightly smaller bird, about the si^e of the 
hotjse-swift, easily recognised on account of two conspicuous 
white stripes on the head, one over the eye and another forming 
a moustache. 
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