I I
b u i l t o f m u d a n d h a d a few f e a th e r s in i t. A t th e e n d o f O c to b e r o r b e g in n in g o f
N o v em b e r flo ck s o f a b o u t e ig h t to t^ v en ty b ird s a p p e a r a t t h e se a -sid e in th e n e ig h b
o u rh o o d o f O p o r to , a n d r em a in t i l l a b o u t th e e n d o f F e b r u a r y o r th e b e g in n in g of
M a r c h .” A s s ta te d b y t h e l a t e M . F a v ie r, it is “ n e a r ly a s c om m o n a s th e H o u se -
M a r tin a b o u t ’I'a n g ie r. S om e tim e s th e y p a s s in l a rg e flig h ts , c ro s s in g th e S tr a its in
F e b r u a r y a n d ¡March, r e tu r n in g in O c to b e r a n d N o v em b e r.” C a p t. Suvilo l l e id , d u r in g h is
■winter re s id e n c e in Aloroc co, s ta te s t h a t t h e sp e c ie s was se e n h y h im in th e L a r a is h Valley
o n tw o c o n s e c u tiv e w a rm s u n n y d a y s , b u t n o t a t a n y o th e r tim e o r p la c e . M r. T y rw h itt
D r a k e n o tic e d i t n e a r T e tu a n tow a rd s th e e n d o f A la rc li, b u t o n ly in v e r y sm a ll n um b e rs .
I n A lg e r ia , L o e b e says, th e h ird is n o t v e ry p le n tifu l, h u t h e fo u u d i t n e s t in g in th e
g o rg e s o f C h ifta. A la lh e rh e sp e a k s o f i t a s a c om m o u b ird a t B ò n e , w h e re i t o c c u rs in
la rg e n um b e r s on m ig r a t io n in D e c em b e r. C a n o n T r i s t r am s ta te s th a t in th e E a s te rn
A tla s i t is fo u n d as a re s id e n t, a n d lie h a s n o tic e d i t in e v e ry m o n th from S e p tem b e r to
J u l y . H e also saw tw o iu D e c em b e r in a r a v in e in th e Al’Z a b c o u n try . Air. AV. T . I I .
C h am b e r s s ta te s t h a t h e re c o g n iz e d t h e spec ie s in T rip o li o n o n e o cc asion o n ly , a n d it
s t r u c k h im to bo “ a n o ld N ile a c q u a in ta n c e .” I t is q u ite p o s s ib le t h a t h is in s tin c t was
r ig l i t, a u d t h a t t h e b ird h e s aw was C. obsoleta, w h ic h is th e sp ec ie s o f th e N ile , a n d
n o t C. r u p e s tr is a t all.
M a jo r A. v o n H om e y e r n o tic e d th e R o ck -Sw a llow os a b ird o f p a s s a g e in th e B a le a ric
I s la n d s . T h e r e is d o u b tle s s som e m is ta k e in S c h em b ri’s s t a t em e n t t h a t th e p re s e n t
sp e c ie s is r a th e r c om m o n in A la lta b o th in th e s p r in g a n d a u tu m n m ig ra tio n s , fo r M r. C.
A. AVriglit a t firs t s t a t e d t h a t h e n e v e r m e t w i th a s in g le sp e c im e n d u r in g h is lo n g
re s id e n c e in th e is la n d . S u b s e q u e n tly , h ow e v e r, h e d id p ro c u r e th e sp e c ie s from Gozo
in A la re b , a n d h e re c e iv e d th e fo llow in g n o te from th e l a te P ro fe s so r L e i th A d am s :—
“ 1 h a v e j u s t r e tu r n e d fr om Gozo :— F e b . 22, R a b a to , Gozo. A p a i r h a v e b e e n s p o r tin g
a b o u t th e fo o t a n d s u n n y s id e o f th e s q u a r e a ll d ay . F e b . 23. AA'eatlier v e r y cold—
e v e n sn ow f e ll to -d a y ; b u t n e v e rth e le s s I saw a d o c k o f t e n s p o rtin g a b o u t iu th e g o rg e
o f S e h le n d i. I h a v e n o tic e d th i s Sw a llow a b o u t R a b a to in s um m e r, b u t I h a v e u o t
b e e n a b le to c o n firm i ts id e n t i ty t i ll y e ste ix lay . I th in k , p e rh a p s , in d iv id u a ls rem a in
th r o u g h o u t th e y e a r in Gozo.”
I n S a rd in ia tb e l a te Air. B a s il B ro o k e re c o rd e d tlie C ra g -A Ia rtin a s c om m o n a n d
r e s id e n t. C o u n t S a lv a d o ri h a s g iv e n th e fo llow in g n o te o n liis e x p e rie n c e s in th e
is la n d :— “ I t s n am e o f J io n d in e m a r in a m a y b e d e r iv e d from th e fa c t t h a t it fr e q u e n ts
c a v e s n i'a r th e c o a s t. I saiv i t in J a n u a r y a b o u t th e G r o tta d e i Co lom b i. I t is also
m e t w ith in tlie in t e r io r . I o b se rv e d m a n y in h a b i t in g tb e b e a u tif u l G ro tto o f O rid d a ,
n e a r D o ra u s N o v a s , a n d also in th e r u g g e d ro c k y m o u iita iiis . I n (h o b e g in n in g o f A p r il
1 saw som e a t A lo u n t O g lia s tr a , n e a r th e F lu in c n d o s a ; a n d la t e r (a b o u t t h e m id d le of
- \p r i l ) n e a r CapotciTU, a t a c r e e k , w h e re th e y w e re c o lle c tin g som e c la y fo r b u ild in g
tl ic i r n e s ts . I do n o t k n ow a n y th in g a t a ll a b o u t tl ic i r v is itin g th e tow n s , w h ic h , a s
C a ra s ta te s , p o s itiv e ly ta k e s p la c e a f te r th e o th e r Sw allow s h a v e lel't.”
Air. J , AA'liitehead w r ite s c o n c e rn in g th e sp e c ie s iu C o r s i c a :—“ F a i r ly c om m o n
a n d re s id e n t. TVith b a d w e a th e r th is h ird com e s d own to th o p la in s ; o th e rw ise it rem a in s
h ig h u p th e m o u n ta in -s id e s d u r in g th e w h o le y e a r. I to o k a n e s t o u M a y 1 3 th w ith fo u r
fre sh e g g s .”
C o u n t S a lv ad o ri a n d D r . G ig lio li b o th s t a t e t l ia t th e species is re s id e n t in tlie p a r ts
o t I t a lv w h e re i t b re e d s , b u t t l ia t a co n s id e ra b le m ig ra tio n a lso ta k e s p l a c e ; a n d tlie
l a t t e r ¿ e n tlem a ii w r ite s , a p ro p o s o f a s u g g e s tio n o f C a n o n T r is tr am , t h a t h e co u ld n o t
lin d sm is fa c to ry e v id e n c e o f a s in g le lo c a lity w h e re th e spec ie s is fo u n d o n ly in
s u ln n ic r “ T lie b ird in q u e s tio n c e r ta in ly le a v e s G e n o a in th e w i u t c r ; i t a r riv e s ea rly
in M a r c h , n e s ts in co iis id e ra lile n um b e r s a t S c liic n a d ’A s in o , w h e re th e to r r e n t B isa g u o
h a s its so u rc e , a n d le a v e s in N o v em b e r.” H e f u r th e r s ta te s t h a t th e C ra g -M a rtin is
c e rta in ly s ta tio n a ry in m a n y lo c a litie s in N o r th e rn a n d C e n tra l I t a ly , a u d h e gives
in s ta n c e s o f m a n y w in te r o h se rv .a tio n s.
D r . D o d e rle in say s t h a t “ tlie C rag -Sw a llow is n o t a t a ll r a r e in S ic ily, esp e c ia lly
a b o u t M e s s in a , C a ta n ia , a n d S y ra c u se . I t a r r iv e s b e fo re C. r ip a r ia , a n d le a v e s l a t e r ;
h u t so n ic b ird s rem a in a l l th ro u g h th e w in te r in th e c e n tr e o f tlic is la n d , wliilo o th e rs
seem to a r riv e in sm a ll flocks in D c c c in h c r, J a n u a r y , a n d F e b rn a ry , c sp e e ia lly d u r in g th e
b r ig h t d ay s p re v io u s to b a d w e a th e r, w h e n c e th e n am e U in m n a d i m a la tem p u ."
iMr. l l iid lc s to ii h a s st.ated t h a t n e a r M is so lo n g h i, in Gre e c e , i t n o t o n ly b re e d s , h u t
sp en d s th e w i n t e r ; a n d D r. K r iip e r s ta te s t l ia t h e w a s a s su r e d by se v e ra l n a tu r a l is t s
th a t th e species is a re .sid en t in G re e c e , b u t lie h im se lf n e v e r saw i t in w in te r. Jle,
n o tic e d a s in g le p a ir b re e d in g in th o K lis s u ra , a n d h a s o f te n fom id th e n e s t in tlie
P a rn a s su s , l u th e is la n d o f N a x o s he. a lso p ro c u re d tw o n e s ts , h u t say s t h a t it is ra re
in tlie is la n d . L o rd L ilfo rd m e t w itli th e spec ie s in E p iru s : th e r e a r e so f a r no
in s ta n c e s o f i ts o c e u rrc n c e in T u r k e y ; Im t i t is in c lu d e d am o n g th o b ird s o t C ro a tia hy
P ro fe s so r B ru s in a , wh o say s t h a t it lia s n o t b e e n o b served in th e in te r io r , h u t was o lita iiied
ill J u n e 1801 on th e ro c k s n e a r F o r t M am iila in C a tta ro , a n d th e - I g r am M u s e um a lso
possesses sp e c im e n s from l l ij e k a in M o n te n e g ro .
L o rd L ilfo rd , in his li s t o f tlio B ird s o f C y p iu s , g iv e s th e fo llow in g n o te by
Dr. G u illem a rd :— “ O n ly o b se rv ed o n o n e o c c a sio n hy me, in sm a ll n um b e rs in th e K a rp a s
d i s t r i c t ; fo u n d b re e d in g n e a r Iv a n ta ra in M a r c h , a n d u n d e r th e ea v es o f th e G o v e rn o r’s
H o u s e o n 'I'roodos in A p r il 1 8 8 8 .”
A c c o rd in g to C a n o n T r is tram , i t “ re sid e s iu a ll tb o g le n s o f P a le s tin e lliro iig lio u t
th e y e a r, n o t o fte n in la rg o n um b e rs , th o u g h in th o J o r d a n v a lle y i t is m ira e ro u s e n o u g h
to h e d ec id ed ly g re g a rio u s , a s i t is also in th e g o rg e o f tlio J-ita iiy R iv e r. I t b re eds
e a rly in M a rc li.”
T h e o c c u rre n c e o f th e spec ie s in E g y p t is e x trem e ly d o u b tfu l. B re lim sa y s tlia t
lie fo u n d i t ra re in t h a t c o m i t r y ; im t Vo n H e u g lin s ta te s t h a t h e n ev e r o b se rv ed it in
- N o r th - e a s te r n A fric a a t a ll, a n d c e rta in ly a ll th e sp e c im e n s whicli wc liav e se e n I'roiii
E g y p t h a v e b e e n O. olisolela. O n th e o th e r h a n d , liowever, O. ru p e s tr is does o c c u r in
-.\bv5s in ia , fo r M r. B la n fo rd b ro u g h t b a c k a u th e n tic sp ec in ic n s. C u rio u s ly e n o u g h , too,
h e sav s t h a t it w a s a “ v e ry com m o n ” b ird in th e ro c k y p a sse s, a u d fo u n d a lm o s t from