844 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NA2 URAL HLST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI, 



that often runs round the top of the wall inside the bungalow, about 3 inches 

 or so below the level of the ceiling : and corners of shelves in the disused 

 rooms are also very frequently used. 



The nest is always surrounded by and on the top of a small heap of 

 stones collected by the bird. Pits of broken earthenware pots seem to 

 be the favourite material and some of the pieces are so large that it is a 

 marvel how the bird carries them. One piece I measured was 2f X 2 

 inches and about \ in thick : and this particular nest had between 60 or 60 

 such pieces all round it. The next was in a corner of the shelf in the office 

 that had 5 people working in it all day, and the birds showed absolutely 

 no fear, coming to feed their three-quarter pledged ji-oung about once in 

 every niinute. If unmolested these birds will build in the same shelf year 

 after year, and sometimes make a new nest in the opposite corner of the 

 shelf. 



W. H. MATHEWS. 



RUNGLI RUNGLIOT, 



Dae,jeelin<j, 10th July 1919. 



No. IX.— AN ALBINO SWALLOW. 



On 2nd July I procured an albino swallow which on examination is, 1 

 think, a specimen of jtlodgson's Striated Swallow Hirundo nepalensis. Some 

 of the measurements are wing 4-6 : bill from Gaps about 5"5 : tarsus 'o : 

 iris pink. 



The colour is pure white but some of the inner webs of the seconaaries 

 are tinged with butf, also the tail feathers. Unfortunately the bird was 

 rather damaged when I shot it and the skin is a very poor one : however 

 I enclose it for what it is worth. 



W. H. MATHEWS. 



RUNGLI RUNGLIOT, P. O., 



Darjeeling, IQih July 1919. 



No. X.— ABNORMAL VARIETY OF THE GREEN BEE-EATER 



{MEROFS riRIDIS). 



On 9th June 1919 I obtained an abnormal variety of this bee-eater at 

 Thang, Punjab. The Bird was a female and one of the recently fledged 

 brood. 



The entire plumage is of a soft creamy white which assumes its darkest 

 and most dusky tint on the secondaries. A narrow supercilium and the 

 throat are washed with yellow which is palest on the centre of the throat. 

 The feathers of the crown, nape and breast are lightly washed with 

 yellowish green. 



The feathers of the wing-coverts, scapulars, back, rump, and upper 

 tail coverts are lightly edged with greenish or yellowish buff, imparting a 

 slightly mottled appearance to those parts. There is a faint blackish bar 

 across the ends of the secondaries. 



Iris grey : orbicular pale olive flesh colour. Bill and legs fleshy 



whitish horn 



HUGH WHISTLER, f.z.s., 

 Indian Police. 



Thang, Punjab, 2Qth July 1919. 



