t h e fo llow in g n o te s o n tb e b r e e d in g - r a n g e o f tlie Sw a llow in In d i a , a n d wc b e lie v e t h a t
in e v e ry ca se th e t r u e H . r u s iic a is in t e n d e d ;— “ A few o f t h e C om m o n Swallows b re e d
d u r in g A p r il a n d M a y a lo n g th o w h o le lin e o f th e H im a la y a s , from C ab o o l to A s s am , a t
h e ig h ts o f from -1000 to 7 0 0 0 fe e t. I h ir e ly m o re th a n o n e o r tw o p a irs a r e fo u n d , a s fa r
a s m y e x p e rie n c e g o e s , b re e d in g iu th e sam e im m e d ia te n e ig h b o u rh o o d a n yw h e r e to th e
e a s tw a rd o f C a shm e re , a n d , in d e e d , ea s tw iird s o f th is h a p p y v a lle y i t is o n ly h e r e a n d th e r e
t h a t th e y a r e m e t w ith . I m y s e lf h a v e o u ly seen th em b r e e d iu g n e a r H h u r um s a la , a t
tw o o r th r e e b u n g a low s b e tw e e n S o o lta n p o o r in K o o lo o a n d S im la , a n d a t S im la
itse lf. C a p t. Co ck firs t p o in te d o u t to m e t l ia t th e y b re d nccir D h u r um s a la , w h e re
lie p ro c u r e d t h e i r eg g s . F rom M u r r e e I h a v e re c e iv e d a n e s t, eg g s , a n d b o th p a r e n ts ;
from A lm o r a h a s in g le eg g . M r. M a s so n te lls m e h e o n c e n o tic e d a p a i r b u ild in g n e a r
D a r je e lin g I n Caslmic;-c th e y b re e d m o re n um e ro u s ly , from a ll 1 c a n le a rn , th a n
iu a n y o th e r p a r t o f th e H im a la y a s . I n C a n d a h a r, a s C ap t. H u t to n te lls u s, th e y b re ed
a b u n d a n tly . O u th e w hole, i t w o u ld a p p e a r tb a t , w h ile a c om p a ra tiv e ly sm a ll n um b e r
b re e d h e ro a n d th e r e e v e ryw h e re a lo n g th e s o u th e rn fa ce o f th e H im a la y a s , th e g re a t
m a jo r ity o f th e v a s t n um b e r s t b a t d u r in g th e co ld se a so n th r o n g th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d s o f o u r
jh e e ls a n d p o n d s se e k C a shm e re a n d o th e r m o re w e s te rly lo c a litie s to r e a r th e i r y o u n g .
“ T h e n e s ts t h a t I h a v e se e n re s em b le d m u c h th o s e o f th e IV ir c -ta ilc d Sw allow, b u t
w e re d e e p e r a n d h a d t h e p e lle ts o f w h ic h th e y w e re c om p o sed la r g e r a n d a goo d d e a l
m in g le d w i th g ra s s &c. T h e n e s t s e n t m e fr om M u r r e e is a v e ry p e r fe c t, r a th e r d ee p ,
h a lf- s a u c e r ; tw o t h a t I fo u n d c o n ta in in g y o u n g o n e s , fix ed in th e c o rn e rs o f v e ra u d a h s ,
w e re m e re q u a r te r s o f v e ry w id e a n d sh a llow d i s h e s ; a n o th e r, in a t in y n ic h e in a b e am ,
w a s a m e re m u d sc re e n , s h u t tin g in th e low e r h a l f o f th e n ic h e , w i th a few m u d p e lle ts
in s id e , a2)p a r c n tly to ro u n d o if th e c o rn e rs . A l l c o n s is te d e x te rio rly o f p e lle ts composed
o f m u d , m o re o r le s s m in g le d w ith d ry fir-n e ed le s , s traw , a n d th e lik e— a c o a rs e r a n d f a r
le s s t id y s t r u c tu r e th a n t h a t o f th e IV ir e -ta ilc d Swallow. In t e r io r ly th e l in iu g a p p e a re d
to h e c h ic ily so ft fe a th e r s ; b u t th e r e w a s a l i tt l e fin e g ra s s , a n d in o u e som e g re y , v e ry
s o ft fu r , w h ic h I c o u ld n o t m a k e o u t. T h e r e w e re fo u r e g g s , s lig h tly in c u b a te d , in th o
M u r r e e n e s t ; b u t I b e lie v e th e y som e tim e s la y six.
“ F r o m S ik h im , M r. G am m ie w r it e s :— ‘ T h e C om m o n Sw a llow a r riv e s in th i s d is tr ic t
in th e b e g in n in g o f F e b r u a r y , a n d rem a in s t i ll th o e n d o f O c to b e r. Tliey com m en c e
b u i ld in g a b o u t th e e n d o f M a r c h , a n d p la c e th e i r n e s ts in co o lie-sh ed s, s ta b le s , o u th o u s e s ,
o r o p e n v e r a n d a h s , T h e n e s t is th e u s u a l m u d s tr u c tu r e , th i c k ly lin e d w ith so ft f e a th e r s .
A s tlie .soil th e r e is n o t v e ry a d h e s iv e , i t is m ix e d w ith a goo d d e a l o f g ra s s . I n th e
s ta b le a t llu n g b e c , s ix o r e ig h t p a irs u s e d to b re e d r e g u la r ly ; a u d th o Syces, wh o to o k
a n in t e r e s t in th em , u s e d to fix u p sm a ll b o a rd s h e r e a n d th e re , a t a n g le s w ith th e ro o f,
o n w h ic h th e Sw a llow s re a d ily b u i l t. W h e n u u d is tu r b e d th e y g e t v e r y tam e , a n d I h a v e
s e e n a p a i r coolly fe e d in g th e i r y o u n g on th e n e s t w h e n th e h e a d s o f fo u r E u ro p e a n s
w e re w ith in a fo o t o f i t. A f te r m in is te r in g to th e w a n ts o f th e i r fam ily , th e y w o u ld
p e r c h w i ih in a y a r d o f th e s p e c ta to rs , a n d g iv e th em a p le a s a n t l i tt l e so n g . T h e y b re e d
a t le a s t tw ic e in th e se a so n , a n d , 1 th in k , o c c a s io n a lly th r e e tim e s . O n th e 2 9 th o f A p r il
I to o k a n e s t c o n ta in in g five h a r d - s e t e g g s o u t o f a k u tc lia b u n g a low , a u d on v is itin g th e
s am e p la c e o n th e 2 0 tli o f J u n e fo llow in g fo u n d t h a t th e sam e p a ir , in th e in t e r im , h a d
b u i l t a ro n g li n e s t a n d r e a r e d a bi'ood, w h ic h h a d flow n a b o u t fo u r d a y s b e fo re , a n d th e
p a r e n ts we re b u s y r e p a i r in g th e n e s t f o r a th i r d b a t c h o f e g g s . T h e u s u a l n um b e r o f
e g g s is fo u r o r fiv e.”
W i th re g a rd to Sw allow s in ¡Manipur, M r. H um e wu-ites :— “ O n e fo rm o r th e o th e r
is c om m o n th r o u g h o u t th e re g io n , a n d in M a n ip u r I fo u n d th e som ew h a t l a rg e r fo rm
{ = H . ru s tic a ) c om m o n to a d e g re e . I n th e h ills , w e s te rn , s o u th e rn , a n d e a s te rn , ch ie fly
a b o u t w a te r, in th e K o p um T h u ll a n d th e b a s in it s e l f i t was fo u n d I n th e b a s in
th e y w e re b u ild in g e a rly in M a rc li, a n d in th e h ills in M a y .” Col. G o dw in -A u s te n fo u n d
a Swallow b re e d in g a t A s a lu , in th e Iv h a s ia H ills , in A p r il, w h ic h wa s d o u b tle s s also th e
p re s e n t species.
U r . O a te s o b serv es :— “ F o u n d a b u n d a n tly o v e r th e w h o le o f B r i t is h B u rm a h .
M o s t o f th e b ird s s e e n a r e im m a tu r e , a n d m a y b e o b s e rv e d a ll th e y e a r ro u n d . T h e a d u lts
a p p a re n tly v is it B u rm a h ch ie fly in th e w in te r , from S e p tem b e r to A p r il. I h a v e n o t
se e n a n y In d ic a tio n s o f its b re e d iu g in th e P ro v in c e . T h e C om m o n Sw allow, a c e o rd in g
to m y o b s e rv a tio n s, is to b e fo u n d p r e tty w e ll a ll th e y e a r th r o u g h in B u rm a h . I t is
a lw a y s seen iu l a rg e n um b e rs iiy in g in c irc le s a f te r its in s e c t food, a u d f r e q u e n t ly s e ttlin g
o n te le g r a p h -w ir e s , d e a d tre e s , b a r e fie ld s, a n d s ta lk s o f g ra s s . O n a c o ld m o rn in g th e y
m a y f r e q u e n tly b e o b s e rv e d re s tin g o n th e su im y b u n k o f som e riv e r in im m e n s e flo ck s.”
As b e fo re m e n tio n e d , th e P e g u b ird s a r e t r u e TI. ru s tic a , b u t I I . g u t tu r a l i s o c c u rs
th e r e a lso , a u d th e in te rm e d ia te fo rm a s w e ll. M e s s rs . l l u m c a n d D a v iso n s t a t e th a t ,
in T e n a s se rim , Swallows w e re ex c e s s iv e ly com m o n e v e ryw h e re th r o u g h o u t th e p ro v in c e ,
w h e re v e r th e r e we re c le a rin g s o r o p e n spac es. T h e am p le se rie s c o lle c te d h y M r. D a v iso
n in T e n a s s e rim fo r th e U u m c c o lle c tio n sh ow s th a t , as in P e g u , b o th I I . r u s tic a a n d
I I . g u ttu ra lis , a s we ll a s th e in te rm e d ia te ra c e , a r e fo u n d in t h a t c o u n try .
IV c h a v e n o t s e e n a sp e c im e n o f t h e E u ro p e a n C h im n c y -Sw a llow fr om a n y p a r t o f
t h e M a la y a n P e n i n s u l a ; b u t R . g u ttu r a lis o c c u rs th e r e , a n d in te rm e d ia te sp e c im e n s a r e
p l e n tifu l in co lle c tio n s . IVo h av e , h ow e v e r, se e n t r u e I f . ru s tic a from J a v a , L u z o n , ¡Mindan
a o , P a law a n , K in a B a lu , C elebe s, a n d B a tc h ia n . D o u b tle s s t r u e U . g u ttu r a lis
lik ew ise o c c u rs in a ll th e s e lo c a litie s , a n d i t is c e r t a in t h a t in te rm e d ia to sp e c im e n s a rc
e q u a lly w id e ly d is tr ih u te d .
I n C h in a , th e b u lk o f th e b ird s e x am in e d b y u s h a v e p ro v e d to b e R . g u ttu r a lis ,
a n d w e h a v e also seen som e o f th o in te rm e d ia te fo rm , h u t e x am p le s o f th e t r u e R . r u s tic a
a r c in th e B r i t is h M u s e um from S h a n g h a i a n d Am o y .
I t w o u ld seem, th e re fo re , t h a t th e w e s te rn fo rm o f C h im n e y -Sw a llow is R . ru s lic a ,
a n d th e e a s te rn fo rm I I . g u ttu ra lis , w h ile in t e rm e d ia te fo rm s b e tw e e n th e s e tw o a r e
n um e ro u s a n d o c c u p y a n in te rv e n in g lu ib ita t. I t w ill b e iin^iossible, h ow e v e r, to defin e
th e e x a c t lim its o f e a c h fo rm t i l l a la r g e r se rie s h a s b e e n e x am in e d .
I n A f r i a t , th e C om m o n Swallow is c h ie lly k n ow n a s a m ig r a n t, s p e n d in g its w in te r
sea so n in t h a t c o n tin e n t w h e n a b s e n t from E u ro p e . C a p ta in S h e lle y , in h is ‘ B ird s of
E g y p t,’ w r ite s :— “ T h is h ird is p ro p e rly o n ly a s p r in g a n d a u tu m u v i s ita n t in E g y p t,
a r riv in g th e r e ou i ts w a y n o r th a b o u t th e m id d le o f A p r i l ; h u t a few p o ss ib ly rem a in in