The species was first named by Colonel Sykes, who writes :—“ This species appeared
in millions in two successive years in the month of March on the parade-ground at
Poona; they rested a dav or two only, aud were never seen in the same numbers
afterwards.”
Colonel Butler states that it is a resident throughout the Southern Bombay
Presidency and common throughout the region.
In the South Konkan, according to Mr. Vidal, it is common and generally distributed,
breeding in the hot weather on the cliffs and under eaves of houses.
The Bov. S. B. Fairbank procured the present species near Ahmcdnuggur in
November, and Air. Taylor says that he found it fairly common in the hill tracts of
Manzeerahad in Alysore.
Mr. IV. Davison states that this species is abundant on the Nilgbiris, aud is a
resident, breeding iu the same places as IIirundo jacanica, fixing its nest against the
roof of some deserted building or under some shelving rock, the nest, of course, being
retort-shaped. They generally breed several together, but not always, aud sometimes
throe or four nests are joined together.
This species is common not only on the Nilgbiris and their slopes, but also occurs
commonly through the IVyuaad and the Mysore country abutting on the Nilgbiris.
Captain Terry states that it was noticed by him at Pulungi in the Palani Hills in
April.
Colonel Vincent Leggc writes:—“ This little Swallow only finds a place in the
avifauna of Ceylon as a straggler, and but two instances of its occurrence in the
island have been brought to my notice. Layard, the first to get it in Ceylon, writes
thus concerning i t ‘ I found one of these birds in the village of Pt. Pedro in December;
it had probably been driven over from the opposite coast by stress of weather ; it was
hawking about the street. I fired at and wounded it, but it flew away. Next day it
was again in the same place, and 1 succeeded iu killing it.’ At this season of the
year the north wind, styled at Colombo the ‘ longshoi’c wind,’ brings many Indian
birds to our shores, and doubtless was the means of driving the present species
southward of its natural habitat; but as it is an inhabitant of the Nilgliirls and
other parts of the south of India, it is strange that it does not more frequently visit
Ceylon. In the second instance it was procured hy Mr. Bligh ou the Catton Estate in
April 1877.”
The following account of the nesting-habits of the present species is copied from
Mr. Oates’s edition of Hume’s ‘ Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds ’ :—
“ Sykes’s Striated Swallow, wliieli is, as a rule, a permanent resident of the plains,
breeds, according to my experience, from April to August.
“ Typically the nest, which is usually afiixcd to the under surface of some ledge of
rock, or the roof of some cave or building, and which is constructed of fine pellets ot mud
or clay, consists of a narrow tubular passage, like a whitc-ant gallery on a large scale, say
some 2 inches in diameter, and from 4 to 10 inches in length, terminating in a bulb-like
chamber from 4J to 7 inches in diameter externally. These nests have been aptly
described as retort-shaped, aud I do not think any lengthy description will convey a
clearer idea of the typical shape. They are not always, however, of this shape. Indeed
(though I am hound to say I cannot agree with him) Mr. E. 11. Blewitt, who has
probably taken more of their nests than any one else in India, is disposed to believe that
the long retort-shaped nests arc commonly built as residences, and the less-developed
ones as brecding-places. He says:—‘ Eccentric to a degree is this Swallow iu the
selection of a suitable place for its nest. I have obtained it on the ground, at the base
of a rock, having for protection just a small overhanging ledge ; in a hole in any old
wall; affixed to the roof-top of a pucka house; to the under ledge of a higli rock; the
arch of a culvert or bridge, &c.; hut never, though they may occur tliere, ‘ in mosques
and pagodas; ’ a n d ‘twenty aud thirty together,’ as stated in Jerdon. I have always
fouud the nest single. The form and material of the nest depend mainly on the locality
chosen for it. Sometimes a simple collection of feathers answers the purpose; at others,
as when attached to a roof-top, ledge of rock, &c., it is more or less dome-shaped, the
exterior of fine clay, the inside lined with feathers. The opening for egress and ingress
is invariably made above the centre of the nest. Frequently have I seen the ‘ spherical
or oval-shaped mud nest with the long neck or tubular entrance,’ described by Jerdon,
but only once with eggs in it. This peculiar-shaped nest is also constructed at times
hy II. fdlfera, and from frequent observations I have sometimes fancied that it is
intended more for a winter residence thau for breeding purposes. I have recently
observed many of both species actively employed in the construction of these nests, long
after the hreeding-scason was well over. In the beginning of August I robbed a nest of
II. erythropyyia, found attached to the roof of an outhouso: and iu the identical place
from whence I had removed the former nest, the same pair of birds have now ueariy
completed a new nest, ‘ oval-shaped, with the tubular entrance,’ for, as I suppose, a
winter retreat. The birds only occujiy it at night. The eggs are pure white, and four
appears to be the greatest number.’
“ During the breeding-soason the old birds fly round about their nest, morning
and evening, uttering quite a variety of rather pretty, somewhat musical notes. Daring
the day they remain near, and one of them generally in the nest, or the pair may he
seen perched on some stone below the nest, sitting for an hour at a time preening their
feathers, the male every now and then singing a few notes. Old quarries, like those
near Futtehporo Sikri and Chimar, are favourite breeding-haunts of this species; and
so are the old Moslem ruins that abound so in Upper India.
“ The ncst-ehamber is lined, sometimes thickly, sometimes thinly, with feathers
only, as a rule, but occasionally with a mixture of these and line grass.
“ They arc not easily driven away once they have made a nest. I Iiavo broken into
nests twice running, to see if any eggs were laid, and each time the birds have repaired
the nest, in which, despite these repeated burglaries, they have finally laid.
“ Major C. T. Bingham remarks :—‘ Breeds at Allaluibad in March, April, May, aud