BO
n o t t a k e p o s se ssio n o f i t . T h o u g h c a p a b le , from t h e i r l e n g th o f w in g , o f g r e a t sp e e d ,
th e y a r e n o t r a v e lle r s , b u t m a y g e n e r a lly b e f o u n d f ly in g a b o u t t h e i r ch o s e n clifi’ o r
b u i ld in g in a v e r y le is u r e ly m a n n e r ; th e y o u n g c o n tin u e a b o u t tb e s p o t f o r som e tim e ,
b u t I n e v e r s aw t h e o ld o n e s fe e d th em u p o n th e w in g a f t e r th e m a n n e r o f th e AATre-
ta i l e d Sw a llow s .”
T h o a c c om p a n y in g n o te s a r c ta k e n from Air. l l u m e ’s ‘ N e s ts a u d E g g s o f I n d i a n
B ird s ’
“ T h e D u s k y C ra g -A Ia rtin b re e d s a t l e a s t tw ic e a y e a r. I n th e p la in s o f I n d i a
I h a v e m o s tly fo u n d th e e g g s in J a n u a r y , E e h r u a ry , a n d J u l y , b u t I h a v e s e e n th em in
A p r i l ; a n d w r it in g from th e N ilg h ir is , Aliss C o c k b u rn s a y s :— ‘ T h e s e sm aU C ra g -
M a r tin s b u ild in th e m o n th s o f A p r il a n d Alay. O n e n e s t w a s c o n s tru c te d iu a sm a ll
c a v e w h ic h h a d b e e n d u g o u t o f th e e a r th w h e re som e p r e tty f e rn s a n d m o s s w e re
g r o w in g ; I a dm ire d th e A la r tin s ’ c h o ic e o f a s ite fo r th e a b o d e o f t lic ir y o u n g d u r in g
th e few w e e k s th e y m ig h t re q u ir e a dw e lliu g -p la c e . T h e n e s t w a s o f c la y a n d o f a cu p -
sh a p e , lin e d w i th m a n y f e a th e r s , a n d h a d tw o w h ite e g g s w ith m in u te d a r k sp o ts a l l o v e r
th em , b u t p a r ti c u la r ly a t tlie th i c k e n d .’
“ T h e n e s t is s o lita ry , v e r y lik e th e M 'irc -ta ile d Sw a llow ’s, b u t d e e p e r a n d sm a lle r,
c om in g to a w e ll-d e fin e d p o in t b e lo w ; i t is lin e d w i th f e a th e r s .
“ M r. E . R . B lew i t t sa y s :— ‘ T h is sp e c ie s b re e d s in b o th th e c o ld a n d h o t sea so n s,
th o u g h I h a v e o b t a in e d m o s t e g g s in J u l y a n d A u g u s t . I t h a s i t s n e s t in h o le s o f w a lls ,
o n p ro j e c t in g ea v e s, a u d som e tim e s o u t h e led g e s o f ro c k s , w h e r e c o n v e u ie n t s h e l t e r is
afi'orded.’
“ ‘ T h e u e s t- liiiin g is com p o se d o f so ft flow e rin g g ra s s e s a n d f e a th e r s , th e l a t t e r
fo rm in g , a s i t w e re , th e in n e r lin in g . T h e r e g u la r n um b e r o f e g g s a p p e a rs to b e fo u r.
S tr ic tly s p e a k in g , i t does n o t b re e d i n c om p a n y , th o u g h a t T a lb e h u t I h a v e se e n tw o a n d
th r e e p a ir s to g e th e r , o c c u p y in g a s m a n y h o le s in th e o ld f o r t w a ll, n e a r to e a c h o th e r.
D o c to r J e r d o n ju s t l y rem a rk s o f th i s A la r tiu t h a t i t is s c a tte r e d s p a r in g ly . I h a v e
fo u n d i t o n ly in th e v ic in i ty o f o ld f o r ts a n d m o sq u e s , a n d b u t few i n n um b e r . AVhen
fly in g , o r r a th e r w h ile f e e d in g o n th e w in g , tw o a n d th r e e to g e th e r , th e y a l t e r n a t e ly
c h i r r u p to e a c h o th e r . I t is a chit, chit, chit, ra p id ly u t t e r e d in a so ft m e lo d io u s
to n e .’
“ Air. R . T h om p so n w r ite s to m e t h a t in th e C e n tr a l P ro v in c e s th e m a jo r ity , h e
th in k s , b re e d in A la r c h a n d A p r il, b u t c e r ta in ly , in J h a n s i c a n d S a u g o r, J a n u a r y a n d J u l y
a r e t h e m o n th s .
“ T h e e g g s o f th i s sp e c ie s a r e in t e rm e d i a te b e tw e e n th o s e o f L . fiuvicola a n d
I I. f ilife r a {H. sniilhii), so f a r a s th e c h a r a c te r , e x t e n t, a n d in t e n s i ty o f m a rk in g s go.
T h e g ro u n d - c o lo u r is w h ite , a n d th e y a r e a l l m o re o r le s s th i c k ly sp e c k le d , s p o tte d , a n d ,
a t tim e s , th o u g h r a r e ly , b lo tc h e d w i th d iffe re n t sh a d e s o f y e llow is h a n d r e d d is h b row n .
U n l ik e th o s e o f L . fiuvicola, w h ic h a r e a s o fte n p u r e w h ite a s n o t , th e s e e g g s a r e a lw a y s
p r e tty th i c k ly m a r k e d ; b u t th e s e m a rk in g s , th o u g h b e t t e r d e fin e d a n d d a r k e r th a n th o s e o f
L . fiuvicola, a r e n e i th e r so b o ld n o r so b r ig h t a s in 11. filife ra . A s iu b o th th e s e sp ec ie s.
th e m a rk in g s a r e a lw a y s m o s t d en se tow a rd s th e b ro a d en d , w h e re a m o re o r le s s ill-
d efined zo n e o r i r r e g u l a r a u d p a r t i a l c a p a r e n o t u n c om m o n . I n l e n g th th e y v a ry from
0-68 to 0-75 in c h , a n d in b r e a d th fr om 0 '5 to 0-56 in c h . T h e a v e ra g e o f a la rg e n um b e r
o f m e a su r em e n ts is 0 '7 2 b y 0-52 in c h .”
M r. AV. T- B la n fo rd fo u n d th e n e s ts n e a r C h a n d a , “ u n d e r ro c k y led g e s o n th e b a n k s
o f riv e rs ,” a n d h e wa s n o t q u ite s u r e t h a t th e y w e re n o t d e s e rte d n e s ts o f Riru n d o ruji-
ceps (i. e. I I . smithii). H e o n c e fo u n d e g g s in w h a t a p p e a re d to b e a d e s e rte d n e s t of
IIiru n d o fluvicola.
T h e d e s c rip tio n s a r e t a k e n from sp e c im e n s in th e B r itis h M u s e um , th e fig u re s b e in g
d raw n from b ird s o b ta in e d b y Air. W y a t t n e a r th e J u m n a a t E taw a h . H e fo u n d it
n e s tin g on th e w a lls o f th e fo r t a t A g r a , a p a r t o f w h ic h is r e p re s e n te d in tlie sk e tc h .
jii,
L: