. A history of North American birds [microform] : land birds. Birds; Ornithology; Oiseaux; Ornithologie. — THE SWIFTS. 423 the outside with feathers of various colors. As there is no shelf to receive the eggs, it is believed that these are cemented against the sides of the tube, and brooded on by the bird wiiile in an ujn-iglit jMisition. Din- drochcliiloii khrho, of Java, etc., builds a narrow Hat platform on a horizon- tal l)ranch, of feathers, moss, etc., cementoil together, and lays in it a single egg. The nest is so small that tlie bird sits on tlie iiranch and covers the egg w
. A history of North American birds [microform] : land birds. Birds; Ornithology; Oiseaux; Ornithologie. — THE SWIFTS. 423 the outside with feathers of various colors. As there is no shelf to receive the eggs, it is believed that these are cemented against the sides of the tube, and brooded on by the bird wiiile in an ujn-iglit jMisition. Din- drochcliiloii khrho, of Java, etc., builds a narrow Hat platform on a horizon- tal l)ranch, of feathers, moss, etc., cementoil together, and lays in it a single egg. The nest is so small that tlie bird sits on tlie iiranch and covers the egg with the end of her i)e]ly. Owing to tiie almost incredible rai)idity in Hight of the Swifts, and the great height in tiie air at wliich they usually keep themselves, the North Americiin species arc, of all our land birds, the most dillicult to procmv, oidy living sulliciently near the surface of the ground to be reached by a gun in damp weather, and then re([uiring great skill to slioot tliem. Their nests, too, are generally situated in inaccessible places, usually high perpendicular or overhanging mountain-cliffs. Althougli our four species are sulliciently abundant, and are frequently seen in flocks of thousands, it is only the com- mon Chimney Swift that is to be met with at all regularly in museums. Subfamily CYPSELINJE. Tlie essential character of this subfamily, as stated already, is to be found in the feathered tarsus; the reduction of the normal number of phalanges in the middle toe from 4 to ',\, and of tlie outer toe from T) to 3, as well as in the anterior or lateral position of the hind toe, not posterior. Of the two genera assigned to it by Dr. Sclater, oiu!, Cjipselua, is enlarged by him so as to include the small West Indian Palm Swifts, Tnrhornis of Gosse. Genus FANYPTILA, Cabanis. Panypdln, Cabanis, Wipgm. Arcliiv, 18 »7, i, 345. — Bitumeister, Thierc Bras. Vogcl, I, IS.'it), 368. (Typo, llintndo , Gm.) Psnidoprnnir, Stukuiiki,, Isis, 1848, 357
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