i
O f a p a ir o f spe c im ens from P a le stin e tho m e a su rem en ts a rc given iu th e ' C a ta logue o f B ird s ’ as
follows :—
Total lengtli. Wing.
«. ad. M t. Q n a ra n ta iiia {H. B . T ristram)
b. ? ad. E iigedi ( //. B . Trish-am) . . .
4-8
4-9
4-55
4-Ô-)
2'0()
2-15
0-35
0-40
These d im ensions may be compared n-ith th o se given b y Mr. I lum e o f Ijis sc rie s from Sind
[I. c.), as follows :— " The sexes do n o t differ in size, tlio n g h individua ls differ in eacii sex conside
rably. T h e males (seven o f each sex were preserved) varied in len g th from 5 '3 ô to 5'G inches ;
expanse 12-2o to 13 inclics ; w ing 4 '4 to 4 '7 inclics. I n th e females, th e le n g th varied from 5-25
to Ô-Ô incites ; c.vpanso 12'3 inches ; w ing 4 '5 to 4-75 iuches. I u b o th sexes tho ta il measures
ab o u t I '8 in ch from ven t. Tlie wings, w hen closed, exceed th e ta il by a little more tlia n 0 '5 inch,
a n d th e w e ig h t was a trifle over O'o oz. T h e hill was hlack and tlie legs aud feet h o rn y h rown.”
A good d e a l o t iliffcrenco is notic e able ill th e c olour o t th e iiiid c rp a rta in a sc rie s o f th is l l a r t in ,
some spceimons b e in g ru fe sc en t and d a rk e r holow. T he se a rc probably in frc slie r plumage, as th é
fe a th e rs ap p a re n tly bloncli a good de a l witli th e sim a n d exposure. M r. D re s s e r believes the se to
bo y o u n g e r birds. They do n o t show any pale edgings to th e fe a th e rs , su ch as usu a l in a C’oiifc,
a nd wc th in k it p robable th a t th e y a rc m e re ly individua ls whose plimiage lias n o t g o t bleached.
Hub. North -c a a tc rii Africa, A rabia , Pa le stin e , and th e shores of th e In d ia n O c e an as f a r as Sind.
T i n s is a sm a lle r spec ie s t h a n O. r u p e s lr is , iv itli ivliicli it. h a s o f te n b e e n o o u fo u n d e d .
B e s id e s th o le s s e r d im e n s io n s , i t m a y a lso b e d is tin g u is h e d by i ts v e ry p a le c o lo u r a n d
u n ifo rm th r o a t , th o l a t t e r b e in g s p o tte d in C. ru p e s tr is .
\ o n I l e u g l i n s t a t e s t h a t i t is a r e s id e n t in E g y p t, N u b ia , a n d A b y s s in ia , o c o u r rin g
a s tvell o n tlie A r a b ia n c o a s t a n d in th o m o u n ta in s o f S in a i. H e w r ite s :— “ I t lives
am o n g tlio h a r e ro c k y iv a lls a n d o ld g ra v e y a rd s , lio th n e a r th e s e a a n d h ig h u p n e a r th e
re g io n o f sn ow . I n S em ie u w e s h o t i t a t a h e ig h t o f b e tw e e n 1 1 ,0 0 0 a n d 1 2 ,0 0 0 fe et
a b o v e tb e s e a -lev e l. I t s f l ig h t re s em b le s t h a t o f a u a r row a n d is g c u e ra lly s tr a ig h t , th o u g h
som e tim e s w h i r l in g a n d u n e v e n , a t tim e s low d ow n o v e r tlio d e s e rt, a n d a t o th e r tim e s
so h ig h in th e a i r a s to d is a p p e a r f r om s ig h t a lto g e th e r . T h o p a le c o lo u r o f th i s a c tiv e
a n d re s tle s s b ird , am id t h e g l a r in g s u n lig h t, w h ic li is som e tim e s t r u ly d a z z lin g , m a k e s
i t a p p e a r to v a n i s h su d d e n ly , a s i t d is so lv in g in m is t. T h e b re e d in g -s e a so n hi a t th e
b e g in n in g o f t h e y e a r. T h e n e s t is sm a ll a n d c o n s tru c te d o f s a n d a n d c la y c em e n te d
w i th sa liv a . W e fo u n d th em b r e e d in g in ra v in e s , s to n e -q u a rrio s , c a ta c om b s , s e p u lc h r a l
m o n um e n ts , a n d is o la te d b u ild in g s in th e d e s e r t.”
C a p ta in S h elley , in h is ‘ B ird s o f E g y p t ,’ o b se rv e s “ T h is sp e c ie s o f O rag -Sw a llow is
v e r y p le n tifu lly d i s tr ib u te d th r o u g h o u t E g y p t a n d N u liia , w h o re i t is a re s id e n t. I t o n ly
f r e q u e n t s th o ro c k y d is tr ic ts , a n d is th e re fo re o f r a r e o c c u rrc n c o in th o D e lta , a lth o u g h
a t C a iro a n d th o P y r am id s i t is a b u n d a n t . I t m a y h e e a s ily re c o g n iz e d b y th e p a le n è é s
o f th e c o lo u r in g o f i t s b a c k . I t b e g in s to b re e d a b o u t th e m id d le o f E c b ru a ry , p la c in g
i ts n e s t u n d e r th e s h e l t e r o f a n o v e r h a n g in g ro c k , o r a t t a c h in g i t to th o c e ilin g o f som e
o f th e l e s s -f re q u e n te d p a s s a g e s o f th e ru in e d tem p le s , o r ev e n o o c a sio iia lly iu th o n a tiv e
cto-ellings. T h e e g g s o f th i s sp e c ie s a r e w h ite , s p o tte d w ith ru fo u s b row n , a n d a r e v e ry
lik e th o s e o f I l i r u n d o r u s tic a .” Air. E . C a v e n d ish T a y lo r fo u n d a n e s t o n th o 2 5 th o f
J a n u a r y in th e g ro tto e s o f B e n i-H a s s a n , c o n ta in in g tw o eg g s n e a r ly re a d y to h a tc li.
T h is is a n e a r lie r d a te th a n t h a t g iv e n b y C ap t. S h elley .
T h e B ritis li A lu se um c o n ta in s sp e c im e n s c o lle c te d by S ir S am u e l B a k e r u p th e N ile ,
an d b y Air. F r a n c is G a llo n a t tb e F if th C a ta r a c t. T h e l a te A la rq u is A n t in o r i d id u o t
m e e t w i th th e spec ie s a c tu a lly in S h o a , b u t b e p ro c u re d sp e c im e n s a t Z e ila , in th o G u lf
o f A d e n . A t A d e n itse lf, Air. U 'y a tt n o tic e d i t fly in g o v e r th e “ T a n k s ; ” a n d Alajor
Y e rb u ry , in h is e ssa y on tb e b ird s o f t h a t lo c a lity , sa y s “ A C ra g -A Ia rtin is w i th us
a ll th e y e a r ro u n d a n d b re e d s in th e e a v e s .” l i e s e n t a sp e c im e n to th o B r itis h Alu seum .
Air. W y a t t o fte n s aw th e sp e c ie s w h e n o n th e S iiia i su rv e y . I t w a s c om m o n o u t l ie
low la n d s in th e w i n t e r ; a n d tow a rd s th e e n d o f F e b r u a r y , w h e n s p rin g in th e d e s e rt
m a y b e sa id to c om m e n c e , i t a sc e n d e d th e m o u n ta in s , w lic re i t w a s s e e n liaw k in g fo r flies
o v e r th e “ rc tem ” b u s lie s , w h ic h a ro in fu ll b lo ssom a t t h a t tim e o f th e y e a r, l u A p r il
h e m e t w ith it in AVady I th m , a lo n g th e h ig h la n d s o f E d om , b e tw e e n A k a b a h a n d B etra .
C a n o n T ris tram fo u n d it in P a le s tin e , w h o re i t is “ e n t i r e ly c o n tiu c d to th e D e a d Sea
b a s in , in w h ich i t is s e d e n ta ry . R o u n d th e s e a i ts e lf i t is th e o n ly sp ec ie s, b u t a t th e
n o r th e n d i t m in g le s w i th G. ru p e s tr is , a n d th e y lio th b re e d iu th e s am e c a v e s in J e b e l
Q u a r a n ta n ia . I t is e s s e n tia lly a d e s e rt sp ec ie s, a s C. ru p e s tr is is a m o u n ta in one. lu
h a b its i t differs from i ts c o n g e n e r, sw e e p in g th e d e s e rt p la in s r a th e r th a n s o a r in g o v e r
th e m o u n ta in cliffs.”
T u rn in g e a s tw a rd s , we n e x t find th e sp e c ie s a t F a o , iu th e P e r s i a n G u lf, wlienc e
Air. AV. D. C um m in g h a s s e n t sp e c im e n s to th e B r i t is h A lu seu in .
Air. B la n fo rd o b ta in e d th is A la r tin a t P a s in a n d G iv ad a r o n th o A le k r a n c o a s t ; a n d
th e I lu m e c o lle c tio n also c o n ta in s s p e c im e n s from th e A le k r a n c o a s t, from K h o c c B a lt
a n d Gwiid ar, c o lle c te d in J a n u a r y a n d F e b ru a ry . Air. AA'. T. B la n fo rd fo u n d i t c om m o u
th ro u g h o u t B a lu c h i s t a n ; b u t h e n e v e r saw i t o n th o P e r s ia n h ig h la n d s , w h o re , h e say s,
i t a p p e a re d to b e e n tir e ly re p la c e d b y C. ru p e s tr is .
Th o b ird s from S in d wo re n am e d C. p a l l id a b y Air. I lu m e , b u t Air. B la n fo rd , h a v in g
com p a re d h is s p e c im e n s from S in d a n d B a lu c h is ta n w i th o th e r s from N o r tli-e a s te rn
A fric a , e s ta b lish e d th e i r id e n tity . Air. l lu tn o was, h ow e v e r, th o firs t to p u b lish tlic
o c c u rre n c e o f th is spec ie s in S in d , l i e “ fo u n d i t v e ry c om m o n a lo n g t t ie G a j, th e
N u r r in a i, a n d o th e r sm a ll s tre am s t h a t is su e from th e b a re s to n y liills t h a t d iv id e S in d
from K h e la t .” H e m e t w ith i t a g a in , w ith th e C omm o n Sw ift, off th e h e a d la n d o f
A lin o ra , a t th e m o u th o f th e K u r r a c h e c h a rb o u r, a n d in s im ila r lo c a litie s a lo n g th e
A le k r a n co a s t. Colone l E . A . B u tle r, w h o s e b e a u tif u l sp e c im e n s from K u r r a e h c c a r c iu
th e H um e c o lle c tio u , re c o rd s it a s “ a co ld -w c a tlic r v i s ita n t to S in d , w h e re i t is n o t u n c
om m o n a lo n g th e co a s t. I t is a lso m e t w ith in C u tc h .”
T h e H um e c o lle c tio n a lso c o n ta in s a m a le o b ta in e d b y S ir O liv e r S t. J o l in n e a r
K a n d a h a r , o n th e 3 rd o f Alay , I8 6 0 .
Air. B la n fo rd o b se rv e s “ C. obsoleta is f a r from b e in g so th o io u g h a C ra g -A Ia rtin