•watched th em , a n d n o tic e d th e o ld b ird s h o v e r in g o v e r th e to p o f th e s ta c k b e fo re
d e s c e n d in g , a n d from w h a t I h a v e n ow se e n I am co n v in c ed t h a t th e Swallow d e sc en d s
to th e n e s t w i th u p r a is e d w in g s , d ro p p in g s t r a ig h t d ow n to a n y d e p th n e c e s s a ry . I
h a v e o fte n c a u g h t t h e y o u n g h ird s w h ic h h a d fa lle n in to th o ro om s from th e s e g re a t
c h im n e y s , h a v in g n o d o u b t a t t em p t e d th e a s c e n t from th e n e s t b e fo re th e y w e re a b le o r
s t r o n g e n o u g h .
“ I u t h e t h i r d g r e a t s ta c k I fo u n d tw o n e s ts . On o was e le v e n fe e t tw o in c h e s from
th e to p , a n d th o low e r p o rtio n o f i t w a s m a n y y e a rs old, sh ow in g t h a t se v e ra l n e s ts h a d
h e c n a d d e d to i t , a n d th i s y e a r ’s n ew w o rk w a s e a s ily re c o g n iz a b le ; th e y o u n g h a d b e e n
r e a r e d iu i t . ”
I n t h e ‘ T im e s ' fo r th e 1 7 tli o f S e p tem b e r , 1 8 8 8 , o c c u rs th e fo llow in g n o te from a
“ T r a v e lle r ” “ E o r se v e ra l su c c e s s iv e y e a rs a p a ir o f SwaUows e re c te d t h e i r n e s t on
th e th r e e p ro n g s o f a d u o g fo r k (th o w o o d e n h a n d le o f w h ic h h a d b ro k e n o if), w h ic li
was p la c e d h o riz o n ta lly , so a s to p ro je c t from th o sido o f th o sh ed . D u r in g tlic w in t e r
o f 1S 8 0 a g ig -lam p vriiioli h a d b e e n d o p riv c d o f i ts d o o r w a s su sp e n d e d in th e shed.
L a s t s um m e r th e b ird s s e le c ted i t a s t h e i r re s id e n c e , w h ic h p ro v e d so m u c h to th e i r
s a tis f a c tio n a s to in d u c e th em to a d o p t i t a g a in d u r in g th e p r e s e n t y e a r. T h e shod
s ta n d s in th e p a r is h o f P a g h am , n o t t a r d i s ta n t from B o g n o r, w h e r e th e lam p a n d its
re c e n tly v a c a te d n e s t m a y s t il l b e se e n .”
M r. l l u m e , in h is ‘ N e s ts a n d E g g s o f I n d i a n B ir d s ,’ g iv e s th e fo llow in g c a ro rn lly -
w r ittc n a c c o im t o t th o e g g s o f th e Sw a llow a s o b se rv e d b y h im d u r in g h is m a n y y e a rs ’
re s id e n c e in I n d i a “ T h e e g g s o f th i s sp e c ie s ,” h e w r ite s , “ v a ry v e r y m u c h in size a n d
a goo d d e a l i n sh a p e . T y p ic a lly th e y a r e e lo n g a te d o v a ls, a good d e a l com p re s sed
tow a rd s th e sm a lle r en d . T h e c u b ic c o n te n ts o f som e e g g s m u s t ho n e a rly d o iilile th o s e
o f o th e rs . T h e s h e ll is v e ry flu e a n d c om p a c t, a n d h a s , iu som e e g g s , a s lig h t gloss.
T h e g ro u u d - c o lo u r v a r ie s from p u r e w h ite to a p a le s a lm o n -p iiik , b u t in th e m a jo r ity it
is w h ite . T y p ic a lly th o e g g s a r e p r e tty th i c k ly s p o tte d a n d sp e c k le d w i th b row n ish re d
a n d in k y p n r p 't '. TC» m a r k in g s b e in g a lw a y s m o s t n um e ro u s , a n d a t tim e s v e ry d en se ,
tow a r d s th e l a r g e e n d , w h e re th e y o c c a s io n a lly fo rm a n i r r e g u l a r zone . S om o tin ie s th e
b row n is h r e d is 'r c p la c e d h y a s lig h t ly r e d d is h o liv e -b row n . I n som e e g g s th o m a rk in g s
w a n t th e sp o c k ly , s p o tty c h a r a c t e r o f th e ty p ic a l eg g , a n d a ro m e re ly p a le in k y -p u rp le a n d
b row n is h - re d c lo u d s . I n som e , a g a in , th e m a rk in g s a r e . a s a w h o le , m u c h m o re m in u te ,
a n d t h e w h o le s u rfa e o o f th o e g g is fin e ly f r e c k le d a n d m o ttle d w i th p a le b row n ish red .
“ I n size th e e g g s v a r y from 0 '7 to 0 '8 1 in c h in l e n g th , a n d from O'o to O'oo in c h in
b r e a d t h ; h u t th e a v e ra g e o f s e v e n te e n e g g s is 0-70 b y 0'.53 in c li.”
T h e fig u re s o f th e a d u l t a n d y o u n g b ird s h av o b e e n t a k e n from sp e c im e n s p ro c u re d
b y M r. AVyatt, a n d th e t h i r d P l a t e r e p r e s e n ts a m o u ltin g b ird in i t s w in te r h om e in
S o n th A f ric a , sh ow in g th e c o n tr a s t b e tw e e n th e w o rn -o u t p lum a g e o f tlie p re v io u s
se a so n a n d th o b r ig h t b lu e p lum a g e w h ic h th o h i r d a s sum e s lieforc it le a v e s fo r E u ro p e .
T h is in d iv id u a l is iu t h e B r i t is h M u s e um .
E o r th o g e o g r a p h ic a l d i s tr ib u tio n o f th i s sp o cies c id e in frii, P la to 4 3 [A la p ].