(luring his travels in India :—“ I met with a colony nesting in March on the cliffs of tlie
Jumna, ahout a mile from Etawah. The nests were inaccessible, hut I obtained the
specimens of the hirds from which the figures in the plate are drawn. I also found tho
species nesting on the Nerbudda, ten miles from Juhhulpur. One colony had their nests
only about two feet above the water. I tried to cut aivay a nest from the rock, Init it
svent to pieces like sand. It contained one white egg. Tho hirds hovered around all
the time with a Bat-like flight.”
Dr. Jerdon gives the following note on tiie speeies :—
“ I found it first on rivers in Bundelkuud, tlie Sonar, and the Ken, breediii" in
company ou the rocky cliffs overliangiug the rivers. I afterwards found it in one or two
localities, not very far from Saugor, on the Nerbudda, near Juhhulpore, and also on tho
Wurdah river, not far from Chanda, It has liitlierto, I believe, not been found by any
other observer, and is doubtless both rare and local in its haunts, and occurs only in
small numbers. Probably fifty or sixty nests, all crowded closely together, were seen by
me in several of their breeding-spots, the nests being retort-sliiiped like the last. Tlie
birds were busy breeding at the time I first discovered them, towards the end of April
and May, hut I could not get at the nests to procure the eggs.”
Mr. Blanford observed this Swallow on tho Godavery, and makes the following
observations:—
“ I thrice saw colonies of Jlirundo flmicola, Jerdon ; hut it is a rare bird. Their
nests wero in every case massed together, as described by Dr. Jerdon (B. Ind. i. p. 102),
beneath an ovoiliaiiging bank, below which was deep water. My friend Mr. Eeddeii,
who was with mo in the same district, told me that he mot with a colony beneath a
waterfall on the Pern Gunga river, and the birds flew in and out of their nests through
the water. In every case the nests were in places which woidd he covered hy the river
during the wet season. I was told hy the natives that the birds keep about tiie same
spot, and return again to tlicir former uosting-placo after the rains. This is liighly
Jirohahle; for one, at least, of the localities I hit upon was mentioned by Dr. JerdonL
that on the IVurdu river, west of Chanda. Tlie birds appear never to go very tar from
their nests, and generally keep close to the river, beating for about half a mile or so up
and down, not, however, keeping to tlie river-bed itself, as II. nficops, Licht., does when
breeding. I obtained tlie eggs, which are very similar in shape and colour to those of
II. rujiceps, being white, sparingly spotted with claret-colour, or nearly pure white. I
suspect the birds have two broods in tlic year—one in Eellruary, the other in April. I
found many young birds in the nests at tho beginning of March; while in tbe middle of
April there were eggs in the nests, and the young of the first brood, differing very little
from their parents, were Ilying ahout.”
Commenting on the above notes, Dr. Jerdon writes :—
" Mr. Blanford has recently found it in the same localities as the first procured hy
myself. Ho also observed ajiparcntly some of tbe very colonics ot nests 1 had noted, anil
fortunately procured the eggs. He notices tbat they ‘ invariably ’ build beneath an
overhanging rock or bank over deep water, returning to the same spot every year. I
observed one colony of nests near Nagpore, however, where the nests, which were in a
sort of cavern, were easily reached by tlie hand from the shallow water at the bottom of
the cave, and a greater deviation from this Avill be noticed further on. I found this
Swallow exceedingly abundant in parts of the North-west Provinces of India, less so
perhaps in the Punjab. I found it breeding on bridges over the Ganges canal, and on
the great Solanee aqueduct close to Eoorkee; I also, to my surprise, found it breeding
under an archway in the town of Dchra Diioon.”
Mr. Aitken writes of the species in Berar :—
“ The smallest of our Swallows, and much less familiarly known than the other
species, as it lives in colonies and is strictly confined to certain localities. At Akola
there is one of tliese colonies, which build there under a broken portion of a wall which
stretches out into the Aloorna ; the nests are retort-shaped; a few stand apart, but the
majority are attached together, the tubular necks all standing out from the wall, and
presenting a very peculiar appearance. AVith the first heavy sliowers of the monsoon
the river comes down in a flood, and washes the whole place clean; as soon as the rains
abate, rebuilding commences, and the bustle in the early morning is prodigious, the birds
hurrying from all quarters with their bills full of mud. They are much persecuted hy
Sparrows, who take possession of the eggeup of the nest before the neck is added, and a
single pair will cause several nests to be deserted before they suit themselves. As soon
as the nests are finished the eggs are laid, and when batched they simply throw the eggshells
into the water instead of carrying them to a distance, as is done by most birds,
aware, apparently, that the stream will carry them away. I have noticed this also iu the
case of tbe AA’caver-bird. Tbe second hi’ood is in February, during which month they
swarm about tbe nests like bees about a hive, while every now and then splash goes some
too fragile neck, breaking even under the light weight of the little owner. These breakages
do not, however, interfere in the least with the process of incubation, but appear to
be repaired even while the mother-bird is sitting. The eggs are two, sometimes tliree,
in number, of a white colour, spotted with faint red; I have seen some, however, pure
white ; they vary greatly both in colour aud size. After the young quit the nest they
associate in a large flock, playing about over the surface of the water, and drinking
frequently as they fly. Tlie old hirds do not by any means confine themselves to the
water, but spread freely over the country, and sing much on the wing. Their flight is
comparatively feeble.”
In the Deccan, according to Messrs. Davidson and AA'enden, it is resident from
August to Alarch, and probably all the year. It is very local, and they have only found it
in two or three places along the Panjra liiver. It breeds in October and again in January,
in immense colonies. Another locality is “ under the railway-arch over the standing
water of the Sholapoor tank.” Colonel Butler never met with it near Belgaum, but
considers it to be a permanent resident in the southern Bombay Presidency, locally