fr e e ly a b o u t th e T a lley in A p r il a n d lE a y ; y o u n g b ird s , j u s t a b le to fly, a r e o fte n se e n
a b o u t th e m id d le o f J u n e .”
F rom N a tiv e S ik h ira also we h a v e o n ly se e n t r u e R . rm t i c a , b u t in S ik b im n o t o n ly
th e l a t t e r b ird , b u t in te rm e d ia te sp e c im e n s h a v e b e e n p ro c u re d , a n d th e sam e m a y b e
sa id o f A s sam , S y lh e t, ¡Manipur, I ’eg u , T e u a s s e rim , a n d th e A n d am a n s . T o a l l th e s e
c o u n tr ie s t h e ty p i c a l J I . g x ittu ra lis is also a w in t e r v is ito r . T h e b ird s w h ic h C o lo n e l
G o dw in -A u s te n re c o rd e d a s I I . c a h ir ic a b re e d in g n e a r Im p h a l, tlio c a p ita l o f M a n ip u r,
iu F e b r u a r y a n d M a r c h , a r e I I . ru s tic a , a s w e h a v e d e te rm in e d h y a n e x am in a tio n
o f th e sp e c im e n s k in d ly l e n t to u s h y C o lo n e l G o dw in -A u s te n .
I n h is p a p e r on th e bii-ds o f th e L u c k n ow C iv il d iv isio n M r. G e o rg e E e id w r ite s :—
“ A b u n d a n t d u r in g th e co ld se a so n , m a k in g i ts aiipoavancG in O c to b e r a n d d e p a r tin g a t
th e c om m e n c em e n t o f th e h o t w e a th e r. A few s tr a g g le r s m ay e v e n h e fo u n d in th e
e a r ly p a r t o f M ay . H e re , h ow e v e r, i t is n e v e r th e h o u s e h o ld p e t t h a t i t is in E n g la n d ,
f r e q u e n t in g fo r th e m o s t ¡»art o p e n c o u n try , e sp e c ia lly in th e v ic in ity o f jh e e ls , a n d i t is
n o t n n f r e q u e n t ly fo u n d s k im m in g o v e r w a te r in v a s t n um b e rs . I t som e tim e s p e r c h e s
o n th e b a re b ra n c h e s o f t re e s a n d in som e lo c a litie s p ro b a b ly sp e n d s th o n ig h t o n th em .
I t a lso fr e q u e n ts th e te le g r a p h -w ir e s , h u t h a s n o t, t b a t I k n ow of, a n y lik in g fo r n a tiv e
v illa g e s , th o u g h in tow n s i t g e ts a t t a c h e d to m o sq u e s , m in a re ts , a n d old b u ild in g s , a b o u t
w b ic li m a n y m a y a lw a y s b e fo u n d .”
Colone l Sw in h o e a u d L i e u t . B a rn e s s ta te t b a t i t is c om m o n n e a r M h ow d u r in g th e
co ld se a so n , a p p e a r in g a b o u t t h e m id d le o f M a r c h a n d le a v in g tow a rd s tb e e n d of
F e b n u iv y . T h e ir sp e c im e n s a r e d e te rm in e d h y n s to b e I I . g u ttu ra lis . T lie sp e c im e n s in
th e H um e co lle c tio n from E a ip u r a p p e a r to b e lo n g to th e in te rm e d ia te fo rm , b u t t r u e
R . n i s ti c a o c c u rs n e a r E taw a h , Saugoi*, in K a n d c is h , th e D e c c a n , a n d A hm e d n u g g u r , h u t
R . g u t tu r a l i s a lso v is its th e sam e lo c a litie s , a s w e h a v e e x am in e d s p e c im e n s from
K am p te e a n d M h ow . F ro fe s so r V a le n tin e B a ll re c o rd s Sw allow s from th e fo llow in g
lo c a litie s :— “ M id n a p u r, M a u b h um , L o h a rd u g g a , S irg u ja , S am b a lp u r, n o r th o f M a b a n iid i ;
N ow a g a rh a n d K a r i a l ; G o d a v e ri V a lle y .”
I n W e s te r n K lia n d e is h M r. D a v id so n sa y s t h a t th e Sw allow s a r e com m o n c o ld -w e a th e r
v i s ita n ts b u t lo c a l, a n d th e s am e is sa id o f th e w h o le D e c c a n . T h e y wci'c com m o n n e a r
K lia n d a la , a c c o rd in g to th e l le v . S. B . F a i r b a u k . M r. V id a l say s t h a t th e y c am e to B a t-
n a g i r i in l a rg e n um b e r s in N o v em b e r 1 8 7 9 . Sw allow s a r e fo u n d th r o u g h o u t M y so re a n d
th e IV y n a a d a s w e ll a s in th e N ilg h ir is , b u t p ro b a h ly do n o t a s c e n d th e h ills to a n y g re a t
e le v a tio n , a c c o rd in g to M r. H um e , w h o n o tic e d se v e ra l a t t h e fo o t o f th e C o onoor G h iit.
W i th r e g a rd to t h e Sw a llow in th e i s la n d o f C ey lo n , Colone l L c g g e w r i t e s :— “ I t
a r riv e s u s u a lly in th e n o r th o f th e is la n d a b o u t th e sec o n d o r th i r d w e ek in S e p tem b e r ,
th e y o u n g h ird s c om in g in firs t. T lie p e r io d o f its a r r iv a l is, h ow e v e r, som ew h a t
ir r e g u l a r , a n d p e r h a p s d e p e n d s u p o n th e b r e a k u p o f th e s o u th -w e s t m o n so o n to som e
e x te n t. I t s n um b e r s a r e in c re a s e d c o n s id e r a b ly in a b o u t a fo r tn ig h t a f te r i ts firs t
a p p e a ra n c e , a n d i t th e n b e g in s to s p re a d s o u thw a rd , b u t docs n o t do so ah v a y s a s
re g u la r ly a s m ig h t h e e x p e c te d . M r. P a r k e r h a s o b se rv ed i t a t P iitta lam a s e a rly
a s th e 2 0 th S e p tem b e r o n e y e a r, w h e n m y e a r lie s t d a te n o te d d ow n a t Colombo was
n o t t i ll .after tlie 1 s t o f Ootolier. A t o tlie r tim e s I li.avc se e n it a t Colomlio in tlic m id d le
o f S e p tem b e r, a n d I o b se rv e d i t a t Ga llo in 1 872 o n tb e l o t h o f t h a t m o n th . I t
in h a liits tlie w h o le o f th e low c o u n try , a n d lik ew is e a s c e n d s in to th o h ill d i s tr i c t s to a
c o n s id c ra h lo e le v a tio n , b u t does n o t in h a b i t th e h ig h e r re g io n s in a n y a b u n d a n c e . I t
le a v e s th e is la n d c om p le te ly a b o u t th o se c o n d w e e k in A p r il, q u i t tin g th e s o u th e rn
d is tr ic ts a w e e k o r tw o p rio r to tluat d a te . I t is, I th in k , o o n im o n o r o n th e w e s t c o a s t
th a n o n th e e a s t.” Air. P a r k e r a lso g iv e s th o fo llow in g n o te from C e y l o n “ A r riv e s
a t T is s a from A u g . .30 to S ep t. 1 2 tli, a n d le a v e s a t th e e n d o f A p r il. T h e se Sw allow s
sleep in im m e n s e iium lie rs in th e Inili'uslie s th e r e , a r r iv in g in flocks b e fo re d u sk . B efo re
r c tiin iin g , th e y am u s e th em s e lv e s h y ra p id e v o lu tio n s , h ig h a n d low, in th e a ir, som e tim e s
fly in g in a w id e c o n tin u o u s h a n d o r r in g o v e r t h e i r s le c p in g -q iia rtc rs . A s i t g row s
d u s k th e y su d d e n ly d ro p in to th e ru sh e s . P ro b a b ly th e y com e from g r e a t d i s ta n c e s ;
v e ry feiv a r e v is ib le in th e n e ig h b o u rlio o d d u r iu g th e d a y .’
T h e c u rio u s p h e n om e n o n o f th e m ig r a tio n o f th e Sw allow s in th e is la n d is th u s
c h ro n ic le d b y Air. B l i g l i “ A t a re s t-h o u s e a b o u t t e n m ile s from C o s la a d a , w h e re I was
d e ta in e d o n a c c o u n t o f a fo rd b e in g im p a s s a b le , I w a s a t t r a c t e d b y s e e in g s e v e ra l
AVagtails, M. m e la n o p e , o n th e to p o f a low b a z a a r b u ild in g . Sw allow s th e n b e g a n to
a r r t a e in flocks a n d c om m en c ed sw e e p in g ro u n d o v e r a sm a ll g a r d e n o t n a t iv e coffee. I
c a lle d th e re s t-h o u s e k e e p e r’s a t t e n t io n to th e b ird s a n d h e to ld m e t h a t th e y c am e th e r e
a l l th o la s t co ld s e a so n to ro o s t in th e coffee. T h e re s t-h o u s e k e e p e r s e n t a b o y to
f r ig h t e n u p th o s e t h a t h a d s e t t l e d ; th e y w e n t u p in a o lo n d a n d th e r u s t l in g o f th e i r
t in y w in g s wa s d is tin c tly h e a rd b y m e a h u n d r e d y a r d s o f f ; th e y ro s e in a c u p o la -sh a p e d
m ass, a n d w e re a s th ic k a s b e e s in a sw a rm ; th e r e m u s t h a v e b e e n 3 0 ,0 0 0 o r 1.0,000 b ird s
o n th e w in g a t t h a t m om e n t, th e AVagtails fo rm in g , a s I e s tim a te d , a b o u t a th i r d o r
fo u r th o t t h a t iium h o r. T lie h o y w a s c a lle d aw n y , a n d soon a ll th e b ird s d e sc en d ed
b e fo re i t ivas q u ite d a r k ; w h e n s e ttle d , t h e Swallows k e p t u p a n in c e s s a n t s im m e rin g
c h irp in g fo r some tim e . Th o s ig h t w a s a w o n d e rfu l o n e ; a t d .ly lig h t th o h ird s a ll
d e p a rte d v e ry q u ic k ly a n d q u ie tly .”
P r o m th e B r itis h A lu seum c o lle c tio n i t w o u ld seem t h a t t r u e m n in d o r u s tic a a n d
th o in te rm e d ia te fo rm b o th re a c h C ey lo n , h u t we h a v e n e v e r se e n a sp o o ime ii o f t r a o
I I . guUiiraUs from t h a t is la n d .
Afr. D a v iso n s a y s T h i s h ird is c om m o n b o th a t th e A n d am a n s a n d N ic o lia r s ;
d u r in g th e d a y i t m a y ho fo u n d h aw k in g slow ly a b o u t som e sh a d y sp o t, o r s ittin g ,
s e v e ra l to g e th e r , o n som e d ry b r a n c h o r h o u se-to p . N ow a n d a g a in o n e w ill s t a r t off. ta k e
a s h o r t irre so lu to flig h t a n d r e tu r n to its p e r c h ; som e tim e s w h e n o n e s t a r t s off, i t is
fo llow ed h y o th e rs in ra p id su cc essio n ; a t o th e rs a ll s t a r t off s im u lta n e o u s ly , a n d a f te r
t a k in g a m o re o r less e x te n d e d flig h t, r e tu r n , e a c h tw i t te r in g a s i t a lig h ts . [ h a v e n o t
fo u n d i t b re e d in g c i th e r a t th e A n d am a n s o r X ic o b a rs , h u t I th in k i t m u s t do so, a s I
fo u n d th em a s n um e ro u s a s o v e r th e y w e re a s l a te a s A lay .” T h o sp c e im o n s in tlie l l u m e
co lle c tio n sh ow t h a t n o t o n ly .If. ru s tic a a n d U . g u t tu r a l i s v is it th e isLands, b u t th e
in te rm e d ia te fo rm is fo u n d th e r e also..
I n Air. O a te s ’s e d itio n o f Air. H um e 's ‘ N e s ts a n d E g g s o f I n d i a n B i r d s ’ a r c g iv en