COLLOCALIA FRANCICA. 
325 
of ‘ Stray Feathers.’ as Mr. Hume still applies Jerdon’s name of C. unicolor (bestowed m the Madras Journal on 
the first specimens he received from the Nilghiris) to examples from Southern and Northern India. 
C. fudpkaga from the Andamans as well as Java is a much smaller bird than 0. francica. Total length about 
3-5 inches ; wing 3'8, reaching 1-5 beyond tail ; tail 1-5. _ 
Above glossy black-green, with a very strong lustre on rump and upper tail-coverts and tail ; throat and sides ot tore 
neck dark brownish grey, chest-feathers edged with whitish ; breast and abdomen white, the feathers with mesial 
brown lines ; under tail-coverts concolorous with the back, the shorter feathers broadly margined with white. 
Distribution. — The little Swiftlet of Ceylon is spread over the whole island, taking up its quarters in the 
low country near the many isolated rocky hills which abound therein, and wandering thence over the 
surrounding districts, wdiile in the Kandyan Province, full of precipices and caves, it everywhere finds a home. 
There are consequently many parts of the low-lying forest districts where it may always be found, such as 
the rocky ranges in the Eastern Province, the hilly Pattus and Ivorales in the south-west, from which it strays 
to the neighbourhood of Galle, the vicinity of the curious rock-ridges stretching from Ivurunegala to 
Dambulla and northwards to the isolated and singular mountain of Rittagalla, whence it overruns all t le 
Yanni to the extreme north ; in these localities, as also about sundry rocks on the north-east coast to the 
south of Tirci, the precipices of Yakliahatua near Avisawclla, and other crags in the Itaygam Ivorale, I have 
invariably noticed the Swiftlet. It is occasionally seen, on fine mornings, about the cinnamon-gardens of 
Colombo, but not so often as round the southern port. It is abundant in the higher parts of U va, round 
Nuwara Elliya and Hakgala, and similar spots in the main range. 
This species is found throughout the south of the Indian peninsula, and is said to be more abundant on 
the Travancore and Nilgliiri hills than in the low country. In the north of India it is found m Siklnm and 
in the neighbourhood of Darjiling. Southward it extends into Malacca and to the Andamans, where a nearly 
allied species, C. spodiopygia, Peale, with a paler rump, is found. In the opposite direction it reappears m 
the Mauritius and Seyehelle group of islands. 
Habits. — This Swift generally affects the crags and rocky hills in which it has been bred, wandering great 
distances during the day over the surrounding country. At early morn, when sallying out from its roostmg- 
places, the caves of its birth, it flics about the vicinity with a rather tardy, uncertain flight, and then starts off 
for distant questing-grounds, when numbers may be met with, all making for the same direction, whence they 
doubtless spread outwards in search of food. In the afternoon they return in great numbers and pack into 
a large flock, dashing about their native rocks in close company, uttering their low, hissing cries. They 
commonly associate with the Palm-Swift, and when questing with these on open ground, such as the 
“ cinnamon,” fly very low and may easily be shot. They can always be recognized from C. batassiensis, on 
the wing, by the short tail and the absence of the well-known note ot this latter species. I have noticed them 
hawking' about the bunds of large tanks, flying close to the water and keeping up their evening meal 
until quite dark. Jerdon mentions them returning to the caves in Pigeon Island, oft Honore, as late as 9 i\m., 
and comments on the vast distance they must have flown to arrive at their roos ting-place three hours after 
dark ! Their powers of flight are certainly very great, their progress being much more rapid than that of the 
Palm-Swift. The food of this species consists of gnats, mosquitos, and other small flies. It appears, like 
other Swifts, to be constantly in the act of catching its food; even late at night, when sitting on a lofty cliff 
overlooking one of the magnificent prospects of the splendid province of Uva, I have watched them picking 
off insects in their rapid progress homeward. 
Nidification. — The breeding-season of this little Swiftlet in Ceylon lasts from March until June. It nests 
in large colonies in various caves in the hills and mountains of the central and southern parts of the island. 
Many^of these are known from seeing the birds haunt the vicinity of certain precipitous hills ; but few have 
been visited and examined, on account of the general inaccessibility of these resorts. Among those which are 
known are • two situated on the rocky hills of Diagallagoolawa, near Pittegalla, on the banks of the Bentota 
river and which are referred to in the extract given below from Bayard’s notes ; several occupied by large and 
small colonies on the Dambetenne and Piteratmalie estates on the south face of the Haputale range; one on 
Pedrotalla-alla spoken of by Kelaart ; and another which I was informed of in a hill called Maha-ellagala, near 
