• I
th e se a -lev e l to SOOO fe et. Air. W y a t t m e t w i th th e R o ck -Sw a llow iu c om p a n y w ith
C. obsoleta o n th e h ig h la n d s ab o v e th e A ra h a li, b e tw e e n A k a b a h a n d R e tra . H e n e v e r
saw i t in tb e P e n in s u la o f S in a i, w h e re C. obsoleta is com m o n .
T h e C ra g -Sw a llow is a p p a r e n t ly fo u n d in s u ita b le p la c e s th r o u g h o u t A s ia A l in o r ;
a n d A ir. C. G. D a n fo rd , d u r in g h is a d v e n tu ro u s r id e a c ro ss th e c o u n try , say s t h a t i t was
“ c om m o n in ro c k y n e ig h b o u rh o o d s on th e p l a t e a u a n d am o n g th e m o u n ta in s .” I i i
S o u th e rn R u s s ia N o r dm a n ii h a d n o p ro o f o f i t s o c c u rre n c e , b u t h e s ta te s t h a t i t is
fo u n d in th e p ro v in c e o f G h o u r ie l, a n d h e th in k s t h a t i t m a y o c c u r iu th e C rim e a .
I n th e C a u c a su s i t b re e d s a t som e e le v a tio n o n th e m o u n ta in -s tc p p e s a u d p a s se s , a s
Ah'. S e e b o hm h a s w r it t e n from th e n o te s o f R a d d e a n d B o g d an o ff. Air. B la n fo rd giv es
th o fo llow in g n o tic e o f th e sp ec ie s in h is w o rk o n ‘ E a s t e r n P e r s ia ’ :— “ I o n ly m e t w ith
C. r u p e s tr is o n The P e r s ia n H ig h la n d s , w h e re i t w a s to le r a b ly com m o n , k e e p in g a b o u t
c r a g s . I fo u n d i t b r e e d in g in a ru in e d c a ra v a n s e ra i a t D e h g ir d u o n J u n e 2 9 th , b u t I
c o u ld n o t g e t a t th e n e s ts to see i f th e y c o n ta in e d eg g s . T h e y w e re a t t a c h e d to th e
v a u lte d ro o fs o f th e c e lls in th e c a ra v a n s e ra i. Aleiio tries fo u u d th i s b ird b re e d in g o n th e
in o u n ta in s o f T a lis li in J u n e . D e F ilip p i, wh o m e t w i th C. ru p e s tr is a r o u n d D em a v e n d
in th e E lb u r z m o u n ta in s , g iv e s a s a n o th e r lo c a lity B a n d a r A b b a s , iu th e P e r s ia n Gulf,
o n th e a u th o r i ty o f D o r ia .” T lie l a t t e r o c c u rre n c e p ro b a b ly re fe r s to C. obsoleta.
I n C e n tr a l A s ia th e l a te D r . S ev e rtz o ff s ta te d t h a t th e sp e c ie s b re e d s in T u rk e s ta n ,
a n d D r . F iu s c h m e t w ith i t a t L e p s a a t th e fo o t o f th o A l a t a u A lo u n ta in s . B y th e la te
D r . R u s sow i t wa s fo u u d b r e e d in g in th e I s s a iid e r -K u l d is tr ic t, a n d h e also obseiwed
i t n e a r B a is su ii in AA'estern T u rk e s ta n . D r . S c u lly , iu liis n o te s o n th e a v if a u n a
o f E a s t e r n T u r k e s ta n , w r i t e s :— “ T h is C ra g -A Ia rtiu w a s firs t o b s e rv e d iu E a s te rn
T iu 'k e s ta n , in A u g u s t, b e tw e e n S a n ju a n d K iz il A g liil. A f te r t h a t i t w a s seen, e v e ry d a y
a lo n g th e A r p a la k s tre am a n d th e K a v a k a sh R iv e r. I t ilow a b o u t, h u n t in g o v e r th e
w a te r , a n d p e r c h e d o u th e h ig h ro c k s n e a r th e s tre am s . A t K iz il A g h il I ivas in fo rm e d
b y th e in h a b i t a n t s t h a t tb is b ird l e f t th em iv h c n th e le a v e s f e ll off t h e tre e s , a n d r e a
p p e a re d a g a in in s p r in g w h e n th e t re e s b e g a n to b lo s s om ; th e y sa id t h a t th e n e s ts
w e re p la c e d iu t l ie c le fts o f ro c k s , n e a r th e riv e r . T h e T u r k i n am e fo r th i s sp e c ie s is
T o g h K a r lo g h a c h (‘ A lo u n ta in Sw a llow ’), a n d I n e e d s c a rc e ly a d d t l i a t i t w a s n e v e r seen
in th e p l a in s .” T h e l a t e D r . S to lic z k a , d u r in g th e S eco n d Y a rk a n d A lissio n , fo u n d tlio
R o c k -A Ia rtiii c om m o n in A lay n e a r P a s ro b a t, w h e re i t w a s a iip a r o u tly g o in g to bre ed.
H e a lso m e t w itli i t in L a d a k , a t S lia rg o l, o n th e 2 0 th o f A u g u s t , a u d a t .L am a g u ru on
t h e 23i’d ; a g a in a t S a n ju o n th e 2 8 tli o f O c to b e r. H e r e a lso D r . H e n d e rs o n o fte n saw
i t , a n d h e n o tic e d i t b o th on th e u pw a rd jo u r n e y a n d o n tlic r e tu r n o n th e b a n k s o f th e
I n d u s n e a r L e , a n d i t w a s a lso n um e ro u s a b o u t D r a s . i n liis n o te s on th e b ird s o f th e
P am i r R a n g e th e l a te D r . S ev e rtz o ff w r it e s :— “ S e en o n m ig r a tio n l a te in A u g u s t.
F am ilie s o f th e s e b ird s w e re se e n iu J u l y n e a r th e so u rc e s o f th o K a s lig a r -D a ry u a n d in
t h e m o u n ta in s o f A lta i. T h e y iiro lia b ly b re e d a t a low e r e le v a tio n , a n d a sc e n d tlie se
li e ig b ts a s so o n a s th e y o u n g a r e a b le to lly .” Alessrs. H om e y e r a n d T an c iri h a v e also
re c o rd e d th e sp o cies from th e A l t a i A lo u n ta in s .
I n th e K u r r u in A’a lle y , in A f g h a n is ta n , A la jo r AVardlaiv R am s a y fo u n d i t a b u n d a n t
in J u n e , a p p a r e n tly n e s tin g in th e cliffs. S ir 0 . St. J o h n re co rd s it a s n o t u n com m o n
in S o u th e rn A f g h a n is ta n , a n d say s t h a t h e s h o t i t in th e P is h in A'alley, in th e a u tum n ,
(¡000 fe e t ab o v e th e s ea . D r . A itc h is o n m e t w ith th e species a t A lo u n t D o - sh a k h in
N o r th e r n A fg h a n is ta n , a n d C a p t. T a t e a t D a rb a n d - i-k il R e k h ta , in th e A lu rg h a b
d is tr ic t o f H e r a t , o n t h e 1 8 th o f Alay.
I n th e H im a la y a s th e R o c k -A la rtin a p p e a rs to e x te n d th ro u g h o u t th e e n tir e ra n g e ,
h a v in g b e e n p ro c u r e d by C o lo n e l C. H . T. A la r sh a ll in C h am b a , a n d b y th e la te Colonel
P em b e rto n in B o o ta n . I n th e G ilg it d is tr ic t D r . S c u lly re co rd s i t a s a s um m e r v is ito r,
a r r iv in g a b o u t th e t h i r d w e e k in A la rc h , w h e n i t is v e ry com m o n in th e low e r v alley s
tliro u f-h o u t A p r il a n d Alay . D r . J e r d o n sa y s t h a t h o o b se rv e d i t in th e v a lle y o f th e
Sutlej^’a n d in th e S in d V a lle y o f K a s hm ir. M r. H um e w r i t e s “ I n m a n y o f th e h ig h e r
b ills s o u th o f th e S nowy R a n g e i t seems to a g r e a t e x t e n t to b e a p e rm a n e n t re s id e n t,
n o t a t a n y r a te m ig r a tin g en masse from th e c o u n try , b u t, a s a ru le , only r e tr e a tin g low e r
clown th e v a lle y s in th e co ld iv e a th e r ; som e few, h ow e v e r, d a r in g t l ie l a t t e r sea so n are
m e t w ith in th e h ig h e r h ills of C e n tr a l I n d i a a n d R a jp o o ta n a . O n th e N e ilg h e ric s th e re
a p p e a rs to b e a p e rm a n e n tly re s id e n t c o lo n y .” I n N e p a l, say s D r . S cu lly , “ th is C rag -
A I a rtin w a s o n ly n o tic e d o n a few o cc a s io n s in th e g r e a t v a lley , b u t w a s m o re com m o u
in th e N aw a k o t d is tr ic t a n d th e A la rk h u Va lle y in w in te r . I t was a lw a y s fo u n d o v e r
m o u n ta in sti*eams h a v in g h ig h ro c k y b a n k s .”
Co lo n e l B u tl e r s ta te s t h a t i t is a co lil-w e atlic r v i s it a n t to A lo u n t A b o o , w h e re i t is
n o t u n c om m o n , d e lig h tin g in h ig h in a c c e s s ib le ro c k s a n d g e n e r a lly s e e n iu com p a n y
w ith C. concolor. Air. H um e rem a rk s t h a t i t is n o t fo u n d a n yw h e r e e lse in R a jp o o ta n a ,
b u t th e r e is a sp e c im e n from C u tc li in th e H um e c o lle c tio n . M r. B la n fo rd s t a t e s th a t
h e o n ly saw th e sp e c ie s a t o n e s p o t in th e AVardha V a lle y in C e n tr a l In d i a , b u t th e
I lu m e co lle c tio n c o n ta in s a n e x am p le from N o r th e r n C a ñ a ra .
T h e R e v . S. B . F a i r b a u k h a s fo u n d th e sp e c ie s on th e A la h a b a lo shw u r H ills , a n d
also o n K lia n d a la , w h e re Air. B la n fo rd lia s a lso m e t w i th i t . I n th e N ilg h iils ,
Air. D a v iso n say s t h a t i t is o n ly a c o ld -w e a th e r v is ita n t, n e v e r v e ry n um e ro u s . H e h a s
o b se rv ed i t o n ly in th e im m e d ia te v ic in ity o f O o ta c am u u d , a n d a lw a y s a b o u t ro c k y clilfs.
By th e e n d o f A la rch a ll h a v e a p p a r e n tly d e p a rte d .
C a p ta in H o r a c e T e r ry h a s n o tic e d th e sp e c ie s in th e P a l a n i H ills . “ T h e y we re
Hv in " a b o u t som e h ig h cliffs n e a r P it tu r . T h e y h a d m u c h th e a p p e a ra n c e o f P . concolor,
b u t w e re lig h te r c o lo u re d o n th o b a c k , a n d w ith som e w h itish c o lo u r o n th e th r o a t .
T h e y k e p t on Hying iu a n d o u t from u n d e r a le d g e on th e fa c e o f th e cliff, s c re am itig
a n d c h a t te r in g a t th e t im e ; b u t a s t h e le d g e w a s b elow m e , I c o u ld n o t see w h e th e r th e y
h a d th e i r n e s ts th e r e o r n o t .”
O f th e n e s tin g o f th e species in In d ia , Air. l l a m e w r ite s :—
“ T h e C rag -Sw a llow o n ly b re ed s, so fa r a s I k n ow , am o n g s t p re c ip ito u s ro c k s in th e
H im a la y a s a t h e ig h ts of from 7UÜÜ to 1 0 ,0 0 0 fe e t. I o n c e fo u n d a n um b e r b r e e d in g
o u th o ro a d from Mu sso o rie to S im la , n o t m an y m ile s from th e new h ill s ta tio n C liu k r a tu .
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