c o u n try in J a n u a r y , a n d C a n o n T r is tr am sa y s t l ia t a few p a irs m a y b e scon tlir o u g b o u t
t h e w in t e r in A lg e r ia .
L o rd L ilfo rd w r ite s : —“ I o b s e rv e d h u t few o f tliis sp e c ie s in C y p ru s , h u t G u illem a rd
fo u n d i t b r e e d in g in g ro a t n um b e r s o u th e w a lls o f th e m o n a s te r y o f K ik k o tow a rd s th e
e n d o f M a y 1 8 8 7 , a n d s t a t e s t h a t a few o f th o s e b ird s rem a in in C y p ru s th r o u g h o u t th e
w in t e r .”
I n P a le s tin e , a c c o rd in g to C a n o n T r i s t r am , th e M a r tin “ a r riv e s in g r e a t n um b e rs
a b o u t th e 5 th o f A p r il, a n d h a v in g n o w in d ow s to b e u tiliz e d , b u ild s o n th e fa c e s of
cliffs i n a l l th e v a lle y s a n d r a v in e s .”
Air. AVyatt sa y s :— “ I m e t w i th a few o f th e s e b ird s in M’a d y AVisset, in t h e S in a itic
P e n in s u la , o n A la rc h 1 6 th ; i t w a s th e o n ly p la c e w h e re I saw th em , w ith th e e x c e p tio n
o f a s in g le b ird I s h o t in AA'ady P e i r a n .”
B o th L in d e rm a y e r a n d ALuhle re c o rd t h e A la r tin a s a c om m o n v is ito r to G re e c e in
s u m m e r ; a n d th e sam e m a y b e said o f T u rk e y , a c c o rd in g to Alessrs. P lw e s a n d B u c k le y .
P ro fe s so r B ru s in a s a y s t h a t i t is v e r y r a r e i n A g r am , b u t p le n tifu l in C a tta ro , a n d h e
a lso fo u n d th e sp e c ie s a t C c ttin je a u d R ije k a a lo n g w ith U in in d o ru s tic a . I n S o u th e rn
R u s s ia , a c c o rd in g to V o n X o r dm a n n , i t is e v e ryw h e re a b u n d a n t, n e s t in g n o t o n ly in th e
v illa g e s , b u t in is o la te d h o u se s , su c h a s p o s tin g - s ta tio n s , a n d i t is o v en fo u n d b re e d in g
o n th e s to n e o r w o o d e n b rid g e s w h ic h a r e fo u n d in th e m id d le o f th e s te p p e . I n
A s tr a c h a n , a c e o rd in g to th e o b s e rv a tio n s o f Air. I l e n k e , t h e A la r tin is n o t so c om m o n
a s C o tile r ip a r ia , a n d is n o t se e n o n th e s te p p e s . I n th e C a u c a su s , D r . R a d d e says, th e
sp e c ie s is s om ew h a t lo c a l, o c c u r r in g in co lo n ie s , a n d n o t f r e q u e n t in g th e low -ly in g a n d
h o t p o rtio n s o f th e c o u n try . I n m a n y p la c e s i t is m o re c om m o n th a n I l i r u n d o ru s tic a ,
a n d i t is m e t w ith b r e e d in g u p to 9 0 0 0 fe e t. I n S o u th e rn D a g e s ta n , D r . R a d d e fo u n d
i t r a r e r th a n th e C b im n e y -Sw a llow .
T h e r e se em s to h a v e b e e n som e h e s ita tio n in tlie m in d s o f s e v e ra l o rn ith o lo g is ts a s
to th e e a s te rn r a n g e o f th e H o u s e -A la r tin , a n d n e i th e r Air. D r e s s e r n o r Air. Sccbolim
f u l ly r e c o g n iz e t h e f a c t o f i t s o c c u rre n c e in In d ia , w h e re i t h a s o fte n , n o d o u b t, b e e u
co n fu s e d w i th C. ca shm ir ien s is .
Air. B la n fo rd pi*ocured a sp e c im e n a t K a n n a n , n e a r S liira z , a n d g iv e s th e fo llow in g
n o te in Iris ‘ B ird s o f E a s t e r n P e r s i a ’ “ N o t r a r e o n th o P e r s ia n h ig h la n d s a b o u t tow n s
a n d v illa g e s , th o u g h i t is s c a rc e ly so c om m o n a s i t is in m a n y p a r ts o f E u ro p e . Tim
P e r s ia n s e n c o u ra g e th e H o u sc -A Ia v tiii to b u ild in h o u s e s b y lu u ig in g u p l i tt l e s ta n d s fo r
th em to s e t t l e u p o n , t l ic i r p re s e n c e in a b o u s e b e in g c o n s id e re d lu c k y . I u s u a lly fo u n d
tl ie i r n e s ts iu v illa g e s a t a c o n s id e r a b le e le v a tio n , 6 0 0 0 o r 7 0 0 0 fe e t, b u t th o b ird s b re e d
in S h ir a z a u d o th e r tow n s b e low 5 0 0 0 fe e t. T h e y a r e , o f c o u r s e , o n ly s um m e r v is ito rs
o n th e P e r s ia n h ig h la n d s .”
A ir. Z a ru d n o i m e t w ith it c om m o n ly o n th e m o u n ta in s d u r in g Iris jo u r n e y to T ra n s -
c a sp ia . A t A k a l-T e k c i t was r a r e r , n e s t in g iu th e ru in s o f th o fo rtre s se s . I n A u g u s t
b a n d s o f A la r tin s c am e from t h e n o r th o n m ig ra tio n .
D r . S e v e rtz o ff d o es n o t re c o rd th e U o u s e -A la r tiu from T u rk e s ta n , b u t in c lu d e s
C. d asijpus as a n in h a b i t a n t o f t h a t c o u n t r y ; h e s ta te s , how e v er, t h a t A la rtiiis , w h ic h h e
d e te rm in e d to b e C. u rb ica , w e re o b se rv e d m igm tin g in sm a ll p a r tie s th r o u g h th e P am ir
in th e l a t t e r p a r t o f A u g u s t. I n th e B r i t is h A lu s c um a r e th r e e sp ec im e n s, re c e iv e d
in e x c h a n g e from t h e S t. P e t e r s b u r g A lu sc um , w h ic h b e a r th e fo llow in g lab e ls
“ T c b im k e iit, Alay 3 ; R. K u r k u r a i i , A u g . 1 8 ; a n d D lj a u u t a i , X.AV. Alongolia, Alay I I . ”
D r . P le s k e k in d ly in fo rm s u s t h a t T c h im k e n t is a sm a ll fo rtre s s , n o t f a r from T a sh k e iid ,
w h ile U l j a u n t a i is in A lo n g o lia , b e tw e e n K o b d o a n d U r g a , o n a w e ll-k n ow n c a ra v a n -
ro u te . T h e sp e c ie s h a s lik ew is e b e e n re co rd e d b y Alessrs. I lom e y c r a n d T a ñ e ré from
tb e A lta i A lo u n ta in s , th o u g h i t m ig h t h a v e b e e u ex p e c ted t h a t C. d a syp u s w o u ld hav<-
re p la c e d C. u rb ic a in th i s lo c a lity .
D u r in g tb e S e co n d E x p e d itio n to Y a r k a n d in 1 8 7 3 - 7 1, sp e c im e n s we re sh o t a t
S a sp u l a n d ^ S iiu rla o n th e I n d u s a t th e l a t t e r e n d o f A u g u s t, a t L e h on th e 3 0 th o f th e
s am e m o n th , a n d a g a in a t S a n ju o n th e 2 0 th o f O c to b e r ; b es id e s th e s e sp e c im e n s o b ta in e d
b y D r . S to lic z k a , C o lo n e l B id d u lp li a lso s e c u re d a sp e c im e n a t. Iv a rg il in L a d a k ; th e
l a t t e r g e n tlem a n lik ew is e s ta te s t h a t i t was o b s e rv e d b y h im in G ilg it iu J u ly , a n d
D r . S c u lly a lso say s t h a t i t is a s um m e r v is ito r to G ilg it, w h e re i t is v e r y com m o n iu
Alay a n d J u n e . M r. AV. E . B ro o k s s ta te s t h a t h e saw flocks o f th is spec ie s a t A la su ri at
th e e n d o f A p r il, a n d o b ta in e d th r e e sp e c im e n s , n ow in th e H um e C o lle c tio n . AA'hcn he
r e tu r n e d in J u n e th e y w e re a ll gone.
A ir. H um e re c e iv e d som e sp e c im e n s from T iiu n d ia iri in l lu z a r a , a l i t t l e s a n ita r ium
n e a r lv 9 0 0 0 fe e t a b o v e tb e le v e l o f th e sea, w h e re th e b ird s a r e p le n tifu l d u r in g th e
s um n ie r. O tlie r sp e c im e n s o f tb e C om m o n A la r tin a r e iu th e H u m e C o lle c tio n from
Iv a iid e isb , k ille d in N o v em b e r, a n d from S liem o g a h iu A lysorc , o b ta in e d in A p r il. J o rd o n
re c o rd e d th e A la r tin from t h e N ilg h iris iu A la reh , b u t sa id n o th in g a s to i ts b re e d in g in
th i s lo c a litv , th o u g h Air. H um e h a s re c e iv e d from C o im b a to re som e y o u n g sp e c im e n s
from Air. R . P . C a rte r. T h e s e w e re o b ta in e d in J a n u a r y , a n d w o re doubtlo.ss b re d in tlie
n e ig h b o u rh o o d , a s th e fo llow in g n o te sh ow s t h a t th e A la r tin a c tu a lly b re e d s in S o u th e rn
In d k i. I n Air. O a te s ’s e d itio n o f Air. H um e ’s ‘ N e s ts a n d E g g s o f I n d i a n B ird s ’ we
r e a d :—
“ A la jo r AI. P . C o u s sm a k e r w r ite s from B a n g a lo re r e g a rd in g th is A la r tin ‘ 1 to o k
th e n e s t o f th is b ird o n Alay 1, in th e S h em o g a li D is tric ts , Aly so rc . T h e sp o t s e le c te d by
t h i s c o lo n v wa s a la rg e o v e rh a n g in g ro c k iu th e b e d o f tb e R iv e r T u n g a , a b o u t tlir e e
m ile s fr om S h cm o g a b ; th e y a jip e a r to h a v e b re d in th e s am e p la c e fo r m a n y y e a rs , as
th e u n d e r s u rfa c e o f th e ro c k was co v e red w ith old n e s ts . T lie n e s ts T g o t w e re so b ro k e n
t h a t I co u ld t a k e u o re lia b le m e a su r em e n ts . T h e e g g s we re m o s tly h a rd -s e t, a n d th e
n um b e r v a rie d from tw o to fo u r in e a c h n e s t. T h e y w e re p in k y w h ite b e fo re b e in g
b low n , a n d m e a su r e d wX' o in c h . 1 b e liev e t h a t th is spec ie s h a s n o t b e e n fo u n d
b re e d in g in In d i a b e fo re . H a d I k n ow n th is a t th e tim e I w ould h a v e m a d e g r e a te r
e x e rtio n s to g e t a p e r fe c t n e s t, b u t th e ro c k is very d iffic u lt to g e t a t ow in g to i ts sluqie
a n d p o s itio n .’ ”
I n A f ric a th e H o u s e -A Ia rtiu is o n ly k n ow n a s a w in te r v is ito r , m ig r a tin g b y th e