l a t e r o n . T h e y liv e in p a ir s o r fam ilie s , b u t n e v e r in l a rg e c om m u n itie s , p r e f e r r in g ro c k y
v a lle y s -where t re e s g row , a s th e y lik e to s it on th e b a r e b o u g h s a n d to p s o f tre e s . T h e
s o n g r e s em b le s t h a t o f t h e C h im n e y -Sw a llow b o th w h e n a t r e s t a n d in flig h t, b u t i t is
lo u d e r a n d m o re v a r ie d . I t is n e v e r s e e n v illa g e s . T h e b re c d in g -tim e in A b y s s in ia
a p p e a r s to b e b e tw e e n th e m o n th s o f S e p tem b e r a n d J a n u a r y , a n d I fo u u d n e s ts in
N o v em b e r o n tb e r o c k y cliffs o f A s a ru (n e a r A d o a ). T h e l a t t e r c o n s is t o f d u n g a n d
s tr aw , s im i l a r to th o s e o f t h e C om m o n Sw a llow , a n d th e y a r e p la c e d u n d e r o v e rh a n g in g
ro c k s a t a h e ig h t o f from t e n to tw e n ty fe e t. A n e s t fo u n d tow a rd s th e e n d o f N o v em b e r
c o n ta in e d foixr h a lf-fle d g e d y o u n g b ird s , a u d a s th o m a le s c o n t in u e a u a n im a te d so n g
u n t i l J a n u a r y , I c o n c lu d e t h a t th e sp e c ie s h a s s e v e ra l b ro o d s .”
T h e fo llow in g e x c e lle n t a c c o u n t is g iv e n b y ¡Mr. I 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 i r d s ’ :— “ I n th e p la in s o f I n d i a th e W ir e - ta ile d Sw a llow b re e d s c h ie lly in
E e h r u a r y a n d M a r c h , a n d a g a in in J u l y , A u g u s t , a n d S e p tem b e r ; b u t I h a ce s e e n e g g s
as e a r ly a s J a n u a r y a n d a s l a te a s N o v em b e r. I u th e low e r r a n g e s o f th e H im a la y a s ,
w h e re i t b re e d s u p to a n e le v a tio n o f f r om 4 0 0 0 to 5 0 0 0 fe e t, I h av e ta k e n tlic n e s ts
lio th in A p r il a n d M a y , a n d h a v e h a d e g g s s e n t m e in J u n e .
“ T h e y b re e d a lm o s t e x c lu s iv e ly iu th o im m e d ia te n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f w a te r ; u n d e r
th e c o rn ic e s o f b r id g e s ; u n d e r c u lv e r t s b e n e a th w h ic h som e l i tt l e p o o l r em a in s ; u n d e r
o v e r h a n g in g s h e lv e s o f ro c k o r k u n k e r , p ro je c tin g from th e fa c e s o f s to n y o r e a r th y riv e r
c lif f s ; a n d in c e lls o f b u ild in g s o v e r lo o k in g th e w a te r.
“ T h e n e s t is c om p o s e d e x te r io r ly o f m u d , a n d is u s u a l ly lin e d w i th f e a t h e r s ; in
sh a p e , fo r th e m o s t p a r t, a b o u t tw o -tb ird s o f a d e e p ish c u p . I h a v e a n o te o f tw o u e s ts
w h ic h I to o k a t E taw a h , a t a c a n a l b rid g e , M a r c h S th , 186 7 ; o n e c o n ta in e d th r e e , th e
o th e r tw o e g g s . T lio se o f th e o u e n e s t w e re re a d y to h a tc h o ff ; th o s e o f th e o th e r w e re
q u ite fr e s h . T h e s h e ll o f t h e n e s t w a s m a d e o f p e lle ts o f c la y . I n sh a p e th e firs t was
h a l f o f a Avidc c o n e , b lo c k e d u p a g a in s t th e v o u s so ir fa ces, j u s t b e low a n o v c r lia n g in g
coi’n ic e . I n t e r n a l ly i t wa s c a re f u lly lin e d w ith a few fin e ro o ts o f g ra s s a n d m a n y soft
f e a th e r s , c h ie ily th o s e o f d o v e s a n d p a r ro t s , so a s to le a v e a n e a t h em is p h e r ic a l c a v ity fo r
th e e g g s . T lic se c o n d was a d e e p cu p , p la s te r e d a g a in s t th e fa c e o f th e b rid g e , a l i tt l e
w a y lielow a s q u a r e p ro je c tio n , a u d h a d a b s o lu te ly n o lin in g o f f e a th e r s , o n ly a few
g r a s s ro o ts .
“ A b e a u t if u l n e s t t a k e n b y M r. A d am in t h e E tra a d o o d ow la G a rd e n s a t A g r a in
th e t h i r d w e e k in A u g u s t , w a s a lii'oad, sh a llow , h a l f s a u c e r o f p e lle ts o f c la y , a b o u t 5 ^
in c h e s b ro a d , a n d a b o u t 3 in c h e s from f r o n t to b a c k , p l a s te r e d a g a in s t o n e o f th e w a lls
o f t h e sm a ll c e lls f a c in g th e r iv e r a n d n e a r th e ro o f. S e v e r a l o th e r b ird s o f th e sam e
sp e c ie s w e re b r e e d in g in t h e s am e c e ll. T h e b o ttom o f t l ic n e s t w a s a b o u t | in c h a u d
th e sid e s a b o u t ^ in c h th i c k . T h e c a v ity w a s lin e d w ith iiu c g ra s s ro o ts a n d a v e ry few
fe a th e r s . I t c o n ta in e d th ro e fr e sh eg g s .
“ M r . A d am r e m a r k s : ‘ O u th e l o t h J u l y , a t S am b h u r, I o b se rv e d th i s sp e c ie s
b u i ld in g in a n old re s t-h o u s e .
“ ‘ T h e u c s t w a s h a l f iiu isb c d , a n d wa s p la c e d in a v e r y e x p o s e d p la c e , u n d e r tiie
co rn ic e , a b o u t 1 0 fe e t fr om th e g ro u n d . B o tli b ird s wo re b r in g in g m u d from a n o p en
w e ll a b o u t 2 0 0 y a rd s off, b u t tb e m a le s e em e d v e r y in a c tiv e , a n d a p p e a re d to b e s h y o f
a p p ro a c h in g th o n e s t w h ile I s to o d a b o u t 8 y a rd s o ft w i th m y h in o e n la r s w a tc h in g th e
b u ild in g o p e r a tio n s .
“ ‘ T h e m u d w a s ta k e n from th o w a te r ’s ed g e , e a c h b ird t a k in g from e ig h t to te n
p e c k s a t th e m u d to fill i ts b ill, a n d som e tim e s w ith th e m u d a p ie c e o f fin e g ra s s was
t a k e n . YVhen th o b ird s r e a c h e d th e n e s t, t h e m u d w a s d is c h a r g e d a lo n g th o e d g e b y
s h a k in g th e h e a d a n d b o d y , m u c h lik e th e s h a k in g w h ic h ta k e s p la c e w h e n a p ig e o n is
fe e d in g i t s y o u n g . T h e g ra s s o r fib re w a s c a re fu lly w o rk e d a lo n g th e e d g e o f th o n e s t,
a n d g ro a t oai-o s e em e d to h e ta k e n b y b o th h ird s to m a k e th e p o r t io n a t t a c h e d to th o
w a ll v e ry se c u re .
“ ‘ O n th o 1 8 th J u ly I o n c e to o k a n e s t w i th fo u r e g g s fr om a n o ld w e ll. T h e e g g s
a r e p in k is h w liite w itii ru s t-e o lo u r e d sp o ts a n d b lo tc h e s . O n s e v e ra l o c c a s io n s d u r in g
A u g u s t , I h a v e fo u n d th e n e s t o f th i s h ird a b o u t o ld b u i ld in g s a lo n g th e J u m n a n e a r
A g r a . T h e n e s ts g e n e ra lly c o n ta in e d th r e e e g g s .’
“ T h ro e , I th in k , is th o u s u a l n u m b e r o f e g g s , h u t I h a v e fo u u d o n ly tw o , h a r d - s e t ;
a n d M r. YV. B lew itt, w h o to o k s e v e ra l n e s ts d u r in g J u l y a n d A u g u s t , a l l h u i l t u u d e r
c a n a l a n d d r a in b rid g e s in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f I l a n s i e , fo u n d fo u r e g g s in tw o o f th e
n e s ts .
“ W h e r e th e r e is p le n ty o f w a te r, from th r e e to se v e n n e s ts w ill o f te n b e fo u n d q u i t e
n e a r to e a c h o t h e r ; w h ile w h e re th e r e is l i tt l e w a te r, th e y a r e u s u a lly q u ite s o lita ry .
“ D r . J e r d o n rem a rk s t h a t ‘ i t b re e d s in o ld b u ild in g s , o n w a lls , in s to n e b ow rie s o r
w e lls , a n d v e r v c om m o n ly u u d c r b rid g e s , a n d in ro c k s o v e r h a n g in g w a te r, m a k in g a
sm a ll n e s t, o p e n a t th e to p , a n d l a y in g tw o o r th r e e e g g s , w h i c h a r e w h ite , s p a r in g ly
s p o tte d w i th r u s ty re d . I a lw a y s f o u u d th e n e s t s in g le , a u d w e s e ld om s e e m o re th a n
five o r s ix c o u p le s i n o n e p la c e .’
“ T h e cffgs a r e in s lia p e a lo n g n a r row o v a l, a g o o d d e a l p o in te d tow a rd s o n e en d .
I n som e th e r e is a p y i-ifo rm to n d eu o y , a n d som e a r e so ex c e s s iv e ly lo u g a n d n a r row a s to
re c a ll th e e g g s o f Oy jiselits a ffin is . I u t e x t u r e th e y a r e flu e a u d d e lic a te , w ith , w h e n
fr e sh , a b e a u tif u l g lo ss, w h ic li, h ow e v e r, a lm o s t d is a p p e a rs a s in c u b a tio n p ro c e e d s . T h e
g ro u n d - c o lo u r is w liitc , o r p in k i s h w h ite (w h e n f r e s h a n d u n b low n , a lm o s t a d e lic a te
s a lm o n -p in k , ow in g to th e y o lk p a r ti a lly s liow iu g th ro u g li) , ri c h ly s p e c k le d , sp o tte d , am i
b lo tc h e d w ith v a r io u s sh a d e s o f r e d d is h b row n a n d b row n is h re d . T h e e x t e n t o f th e
m a rk in g s v a r ie s g r e a tly , a s w e ll a s th e in t e n s i ty o f th e i r c o lo u rin g . S om e a r e s p o tte d
p r e tty u n ifo rm ly a l l o v e r ; b u t iu t h e m a jo r ity th e m a r k in g s a r c m o s t n um e ro u s a t tlie
la rg o 'e u d . O c c a s io n a lly , th e y a r e g a th e r e d in to a w e ll-m a rk e d zo n e tow a r d s th i s o u d ;
a n d o n e e g g h a s a n e a r ly c om p le te c a p o f c o n f lu e n t m a rk in g s , e o v o riiig th o w h o le o f th e
l a r g e r e n d . T h e s e a ro th e m o s t r ic h ly m a rk e d Sw a llow 's e g g s t h a t I k n ow , a n d som e
sp e c im e n s a re ex c e s s iv e ly h a n d som e .
“ T h e e g g s v a ry g r e a t ly in d im e n s io n s , v iz ., from O'Go to O'S in c h in l e n g th , a u d from