z z r
0-5 to 0 '5 7 in c h ; b u t tb e a v e r a g e s t r u c k from a l a rg e u um b e r o f m e a su r em e n ts I fin d to
b e 0-72 b y 0*53 in c h .”
I n h is N o te s o u th e Sw a llow s a n d Sw ifts o f B e r a r , M r. A itk e n o b s e r v e s:— " T h is
sp e c ie s su p p lie s iu B e r a r t h e p la c e o f U . r u s tic a w h ic h i t so s tro n g ly re s em b le s in i ts
lia b its . I t se em s to b e e v e n fo n d e r o f w a t e r ; in d e e d i t r a r e ly le a v e s i t , sk im m in g o v e r
t l ie s u r f a c e w i th a sp e e d m a t c h in g t h a t o f tb e Sw ift, i t s m e ta llic c o lo u rs f la s h in g in th e
s u n . I t is a p e rm a n e n t r e s id e n t, a n d b re e d s fr om F e b r u a r y to J u n e . T h e n e s t is a m e re
sh a llow s a u c e r b u i l t u u d e r a ro c k o r w a ll, som e tim e s e v e n o n e a r th y b a n k a t tlie w a te r sid
e , a n d i t e x h ib i t s in tb e c o n s tru c tio n a ll t h e fo r e th o u g h t a n d p a tie n c e o f i ts E n g lis h
r e la tiv e . T lie f ir s t n e s t I w a tc h e d to o k fo u r w e ek s to c om p le te , a n a r row la y e r o f m u d
b e in g a d d e d c a u tio u s ly e a c h d a y , a u d l e f t to d ry . W h e n th i s p a r t o f th e b u s in e s s wa s
c om p le te , a l in in g o f fin e g ra s s w a s a d d e d , th e n o n e o f f e a th e r s , a n d o n th i s w e re la id
tlir e e lo n g -s h a p e d e g g s , o f a w h ite c o lo u r, w e ll s p o tte d w ith d a r k r e d d is h b row n . I
c o n fe s s to h a v in g b e e u g u i l ty o f th e c r u e l ty o f t a k in g tw o o f th e s e fo r m y c o lle c tio n , b u t
ti ie f a ith f u l l i t t l e b ird c o n t in u e d s till to s it, a n d I liad a f te rw a rd s th e s a tis f a c tio n o f
s e e in g th e rem a in in g e g g h a tc h e d a u d th e y o u n g o n e fledged. L o n g a f te r th e y a r e a b le
to fly, th e y o u n g a r e fe d in th e a i r b y th e o ld b ird s e x a c tly a f te r th e m a n n e r o f th e
E n g l i s h Sw a llow , p a r e n t s a n d y o u n g c i r c l in g r o u n d a u d r o u n d a n d th e n w ith a com-
jila c o n t tw i t te r , c lin g in g to g e th e r fo r a n in s t a n t , d u r in g w h ic h th e m o u th fu l o f in s e c ts is
t r a n s f e r r e d f r om th e o n e to th e o th e r .”
W i th r e s p e c t to th e m ig r a tio n s o f th i s sp ec ie s, a l e t t e r is q u o te d b y P ro fe s so r B a ll,
w h ic h h a d b e e n a d d r e s s e d to h im b y M r. L ew in , c o n c e rn in g th e sp e c ie s in C lio ta
N a g p u r :— “ I w a s s t r o l l in g a lo n g th e b a n k s , o r r a th e r s a n d s , o f th e K o e l, a few d a y s
b e fo re C h ris tm a s , w h e n I n o tic e d a lo n g flig h t o f H . f i l i f e r a ( I s h o t o n e to m a k e su re ).
T h e y w e re p ro c e e d in g in sm a ll p a r tie s o f 8 to 1 0 o r 15 s te a d ily to w e s tw a rd , a n d I am
su re a t le a s t 2 0 0 m u s t h a v e p a s s e d d u r in g th e s h o r t tim e I lo o k e d o n . T h e y a r e b y n o
m e a n s c om m o n h e r e , a u d I n e v e r saw m o re th a n six o r e ig l i t a t a tim e b e fo re . I g o t a
n e s t l a s t A p r il in a c le ft in a ro c k o n th e K o e l n e a r h e r e .”
D r . J e r d o n sa y s t h a t th e H in d u s t a n i n am e o f “ L e is lira ” is g iv e n to th is sp o cies, from
a su p p o se d r e s em b la n c e o f t h e t h in t a i l- f e a th e r s to th e ro d u s e d f o r c a tc h in g b ird s w ith
b ird -lim e , w h ic h is c a lle d “ L c is h ra .”
T lie a d u l t m a le fig u re d is in M r. W y a t t ’s c o lle c tio n , a n d is from M a la b a r , a n d th e
fem a le a n d y o u n g a r c d raw n from sp e c im e n s in th e H um e c o lle c tio n .