from the latte r species in wanting the black on the base of the chin and fore part of the checks.
The two birds arc no doubt distinct, but at present th e paucity of speciracns of C. dasypus which
we have been able to compare, and tlie bad preparation of most of the scries of C. cashmiriensis iu
tbe Britisli JIuseum, have prevented our making such a thorough comparisou of the two species
as we should have liked to have done.
Compared with C. urbica, the Cashmere J Ia rtin is distinguished by its smaller size and less
strongly forked tail. I t is also much browner below, and it is especially recognizable by its
dark brown under wing-coverts and quill-lining. Young birds of C. urbica are also sometimes
smoky b ro u n below, but this colour is always confined to the throat and chest, leaving the breast
and abdomen white. Nearly the whole of the underparts of C. cashmiriensis are smoky brown, a
little lighter on the throat, wliile the centre of the lower breast and abdomen are white.
Hab. Himalaya mountains from Cashmere eastwards as fa r as the mountains of Kansu. Wintering in
the plains of India.
T h e C a shm e re M a r tin is a sm a ll d u s k y r e p r e s e n ta tiv e o f t h e C om m o n M a r tin o f E u ro p e .
I t w a s firs t d is c o v e re d b y th o l a t e D r . L e i th A d am s in K a s hm ir . H e fo u n d i t “ c om m o n
o n th e ro c k y b a n k s o f th e riv e r s in L a d a k h a n d K a s h m i r d u r in g t h e s um m e r ,” a n d h e
s n p p o s e d t h a t i t o c c u rre d o n m ig r a tio n d u r in g th e w in te r iu th e E u n ja h a n d th e p la in s
o f I n d i a . A ir. B ro o k s p r o c u r e d i t n e a r D h u rm s a la in J u n e .
l ) r . J e r d o n , in h is ‘ S u p p lem e n ta ry N o t e s ’ to h is ‘ B ird s o f I n d i a , ’ w r i t e s :— “ I
fo u n d th i s A la r tin b r e e d in g o n a ro c k n e a r A la t t i a n a a n d N a g k a n d a h iu t h e S u tle j
A^alley in J u n e , a n d S to lic z k a fo u n d i t b r e e d in g n e a r t h e s am e lo c a lity , p e r h a p s a t th e
v e ry s am e sp o t. I a lso fo u n d i t in t h e S in d v a lle y in K a s hm ir , in sm a ll p a r t i e s ; b u t , a s
a ru le , I fo u n d i t r a r e in K a shm ii-, n o tw i th s t a n d in g i t s n am e .” Air. B ro o k s m e t w i th i t
b r e e d in g in K a s hm i r , a l i t t l e to th i s s id e o f A h a h a d S e ra i, a n d a lso a few m ile s holow
P o s ia n a , in th e cliffs o f t h e “ C h itte r p a n e e ” riv e r . H e a lso fo u n d i t o n th e S u tle j, in
t h e in t e r io r b e low S im la . A t G ilg it, C o lo n e l B id d u lp li s ta te s t h a t i t a p p e a rs a b o u t th e
m id d le o f A p r il, a n d b e c om e s v e r y c om m o n in Alay .
A ir. H u m e g iv e s th e fo llow in g n o te in h is w o rk o n th e n e s ts a n d e g g s o f I n d i a n
b i r d s :—
“ T h e C a shm e re A la r tin b re e d s o n ly in th e in t e r io r o f t h e H im a la y a s . I t la y s , a s
f a r a s I k n ow , o n ly in A p r il a n d Alay , b u t is sa id to h a v e a se c o n d b ro o d d u r in g th e
r a in s . S ir E . C. B u c k w ro te to m e t h a t ‘ th e r e is a la rg e co lo n y o f th e s e b ird s , a b o u t 1-^
to 2 m ile s fr om A lu ttia n a D a k B u n g a low , o n tb o o ld ro a d to N a r k u u d a ; t h e i r n e s ts
c o v e r th e ro o fs o f h o llow s in t h e ro c k a b o u t 15 to 20 f e e t from t h e g ro u n d . N e s t o f m u d ,
sh a llow , c u p - sh a p e d , w i th la rg i s h a p e r tu r e , v e ry clo se , o n e a b o v e th e o th e r in m a n y
in s ta n c e s . Y o u n g b ird s a p p e a r e d fled g e d in J u n e w h e n I p a s se d . B ir d s fr e q u e n te d
h v e e d iu g -p la c e s a t d u s k i n g r e a t n um b e r s . T h e h o llow s a r c a lm o s t o v e r h a n g in g th e
o ld ro a d .’ ”
I n th e l l u m e c o lle c tio n is a sp e c im e n o b ta in e d b y C o lo n e l D c lm e HadclifTe a t
T h u n d i a n a iu H a z a r a , in A p r il. Air. B ro o k s fo u n d t l ic sp e c ie s iu K um a o n , a n d o u h is
j o u r n e y from A la su r i to G a n g a o tr i h e o b ta in e d a s p e c im e n b e tw e e n S u k i a n d D e ra il,
w h e re tlie y w e re f ly in g a b o u t in c o n s id e ra b le n um b e rs . I n th e H um e c o lle c tio n is a
sp e c im e n Ob tain e d in G u rw h a l in D e c em b e r, a n d a lso o n e p ro c u re d in n a tiv e S ik b im m
I p r i l b y tb o l a t e M r. M a n d e lli's h u n t e r s . D r. J e r d o n h a s also s ta te d t h a t b e p ro c u re d
o n e a t D a r jilin g . T b e o n ly n a tn m l i s t wh o h a s a s y e t p ro c u re d s p e c im e n s in In d ia aw ay
from tb e H im a la y a s is M r. W . T . B la n fo rd , wh o m o t w ith tb o sp e c ie s in tb e B ila s p u r
d i s tr i c t in tb o C e n tra l B roviuocs.
T b o fo llow in g a c c o u n t o f tlio sp e c ie s was g iv en b y th e l a t e G e n e ra l I r jo v a l s k i m
bis m em o ir on t h e ‘ B ird s o t M o n g o l ia ’ : —
“ W a s fo u n d in g ro a t im m lie rs in tb o A la - s b a n m o u n ta in s a n d in K a n -s u . I n b .h .
M o n -o lin th e y a r e r a th e r s c a r c e ; th e y m ig h t p o ss ib ly b re e d in lln ra - n a v in -u l, b u t
c e r ta in ly do n o t o c c u r in M u n i -u l a t a n y o th e r tim e tlia n d u r in g m ig ra tio n . I t avoids
th e h a b ita tio n s o f m a n , a n d k e e p s to tb o w ild ro c k s o f lo fty m o u n ta in s . I n K a n -s u , to r
in s ta n c e , i t b re e d s m o s tly in th e a lp in e re g io n , a t h e ig h ts from 1 0 ,0 0 0 to 1 2 ,0 0 0 loot
a b o v e tb e s e a ; i t is v e ry r a r e in th e m e d ia n zone , a n d d e sc en d s to th e low p a r ts w h e n in
s e a rc h o f fo o d .
“ T lie n e s ts , s e v e ra l in a row , a r e s tu c k to o v e r h a n g in g ro c k s , a n d b y th e i r sh ap e
re s em b le th o s e o f I I ir u n d o g n ttu ra lis . O n th e 2 5 th o f J u n e I c lim b e d u p to tw o , an d
fo u n d in o n e o f tliem tw o a n d in tb e o th e r fo u r y o u n g , a lm o s t fledged.
I u K a n -s u tb e f i r s t b ird s a r riv e d on th e 2 0 fb o f A p r il, a n d le f t a b o u t th e m id d le ol
Aue -ust. W e a t th i s tim e o b se rv ed to le r a b ly l a rg e tlo c k s fly in g s o u th w a r d .”
T lie s in g le sp e c im e n o b ta in e d b y G e n e ra l P r je v a ls k i h a s b e e n m o s t k in d ly su bm itti-d
to u s b y Dr° I’lc sk e , a u d wo fin d t h a t i t is in e v e ry w a y id en tie.a l w itli H m ia la y a u
sp ec im e n s.
T h e sp e c ie s lias a lso b e e n re c o rd e d from I t a ly b y P ro fe s so r G ig lio li, a sp e c im e n
b a v in " b e e u o b ta in e d n e a r P lo r e n c e o n tb e 1 3 th o f O c to b e r. 18S3, w h ic h th e a b o v e -
n am e d n a tu r a l is t is in c lin e d to re f e r to O. cm hm ir iem is . C o u n t S a lv a d o ri, h ow e v e r
b eliev e s t h a t tb e c lia r a c te rs q u o te d iu d ic a tc t h a t tb e b ird in q u e s tio n was o n ly a sm a ll
v a r ie ty o t th e C om m o n M a r tin .
T h e d e s c rip tio n s a r e ta k e n from sp e c im e n s in tb e B r itis h M u s e um , a n d th e fig u re s
a r c d raw n from e.vamples iu th e H um e e o lle c tio n .