T h is we m a d e o n th e f a ith o f a sp e c im e n p u r c h a s e d from t h e Yfaison V e r r e a u x . F o r tu
n a t e ly th e s p e c im e n p a s s e d in to th e c o lle o tio n o f i l r . I I . B . D r e s s e r, w h o fo u n d from
t h e o r ig in a l R u s s ia n la b e l s t il l o n th e s p e c im e n t h a t i t h a d b e e n s h o t n e a r K a r a t a i i in
T u r k e s ta n , w h ic h is p ro b a h ly i ts f u r th e s t e a s te r u l im i t iu C e n t r a l A s ia .
M r. S e e h o hm c o n t r ib u t e d tile fo llow m g n o te to M r. D r e s s e r ’s ‘ B ird s o f E u ro p e ’ :—
“ I fo u n d l l in u i d o r u f u la b re e d in g b o th a t X ym p h io n , e a s t o t Sm y r n a , a n d in th e
P a rn a s s u s . B o tli in A s ia M in o r a n d i n G r e e c e i t is a s um m e r v is ito r o n ly , a r r iv in g
e a rly i n A p r il, a t l e a s t a m o u th l a t e r t h a n i ts c o n g e n e rs H i r u n d o ru s iic a a n d II. u rh ica .
F re s li- la id e g g s m a y h e o b ta in e d from tb o m id d le o f M a y to th e m id d le o f J iu io . I d id
n o t m e e t w i th a n y e v id e n c e o t its l)re o d in g a se c o n d tim e , e x c e p t w lie n t h e firs t n e s t luul
b e e n d e s tro y e d o r d i s tu r b e d b e fo re th e e g g s w e re h a tc h e d . I h a v e a y o u n g b ird iu fu l l
p lum a g e o f th o firs t y e a r, s lio t o n th e 3 0 th o t J u l y . D u r in g th o b re e d in g -s e a s o n i t
f r e q u e n t s th e w a rm s h e lte r e d v a lle y s in th e h ig lie s t p a r ts o f t h e v in e -re g io n s . YVo n e v e r
m e t w itli i t so h ig h u p a s th o p in e -re g io iis . O n th e w in g H i r u n d o r u fu la is q u ite as
m u c h a t h om e a s II . m s t i c a o r I I . u rh ic a , a n d m a y n o t u n f r e q u c n t ly h e s e e n h aw k in g fo r
ilie s in com p a n y w i th b o th th e s e sp e c ie s . I t m a y , liow ev e r, h e e a s ily d is tin g u is h e d from
tlio s e b ird s a t som e d is ta n c e , a s i t p o s se s se s th e lo n g fo rk e d t a i l o f th e o no iu a d d itio n
to th e w h ite r u m p o f th e o tlie r. I t m a y a lso b e d i s tin g u is h e d h y i t s n o te , w h ic h
r e s em b le s t l i a t o f I I . ru s lic a , h u t m a y b e d e s c rib e d a s a low wM t c om p a re d w i th th e lo u d
w h e t o f t h a t b ird . T h e lim e s to n e c r a g s o f th e P a rn a s s u s a n d o f A s ia J Im o r e a s t ol
S m y r n a a b o u n d in o av e s, o n th e ro o fs o f w h ic h th i s b ird b u ild s i t c u r io u s n e s t ; b u t so
l a r a s m v o b s e rv a tio n g o e s i t n e v e r b re e d s in co lo n ie s . T h e n e s t is b u i l t o i m u d , a n d is
v e r y s im ila r to t b a t o f H i r u n d o u rh ica , w i th tlio a d d itio n o f a fu n n e l a t t h e to p m a d e o f
th e s am e m a te r ia l, th o e n t r a n c e to w h ic h is s iig litly h e u t d ow nw a rd , so t h a t tlu ; w h o le
s t r u c tu r e rem in d s o u e o f a c h em is t’s r e to r t . I t is lin e d w ith d ry g ra s s a n d f e a th e r s .
T lie e g g s , f r om fo u r to five in n um b e r , a r e p u r e w h ite , a siz e sm a lle r t h a n tlio se o f
I I ir u n d o u rh ic a , a n d le s s p o in te d a t th e sm a lle r e n d t h a n tb e e g g s o f t h a t sp e c ie s u s u a lly
a r e , m e a s u r in g fr om b y to b y } 5 in c h . P r o m th o s im ila r ity o f th i s b ird to
I I . r u s tic a o n o m ig h t Iiav e e x p e c te d th e e g g to h e s p o t te d ; b u t w h e re a s tlie e g g s o f
I I . ru s tic a a n d C o ty le r u p e s tr is m a y a lw a y s h e s e e n in t h e n o s t, th o s e o f H . r u fu la ,
J I . u rh ica , a n d C. r ip a r ia n e v e r c a n b e . I n tliis fam ily tlie c o lo u rin g o f tlio e g g seoms
to b e a r n o r e la t io n to g e n e ric d is tin c tio n a s i t d o es am o n g s t th e YVarblers, b u t w o u ld seem
t o b e e n tir e ly d e p e n d e n t o n tlie g r e a t e r o r le s s c o n c e a lm e n t a fforded b y th e c o n s tru c tio n
a n d p o s itio n o f th e n e s t. B o tli in th e n e ig h b o u rlio o d o f S m y r n a a n d in th o P a rn a s s u s
t h e h ird is e om p a ra tiv o ly lo c a l a n d r a r e , im t is m u e li m o re a h u n d a u t in A e a rn a n ia .’’
T h e f ig u re iu t h e P la to a n d tb o d e s c rip tio n s o t tliis sp e c ie s lia v c b e e n ta k e n from
sp e c im e n s iu t l ic B r i t is h M u s e um .