274 HIRTTNDrNriD.E. 



construct mud-nests amongst rocks, in caves or old buildings, and 

 they lay spotted eggs. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Chin and upper throat streaked or spotted. 



a'. Wing 5 ; under tail-coverts much darker 



than abdomen P. rupestris, p. 274. 



b'. Wing - little more than 4 ; under tail-coverts 



of same colour as abdomen P. concolor, p. 275. 



b. Chin and upper throat unmarked P. obsolete, p. 275. 



810. Ptyonoprogne rupestris. The Cray-Martin. 



Hirundo rupestris, Scop. Ann. i, Hist. Nat. p. 167 (1769) ; Blyth, 



Cat. p. 198. 

 Cotyle rupestris (Scop.), Horsf. <§■ M. Cat. i, p. 95; Jerd. B. I. i, 



p. 166 ; Hume $■ Renders. Lah. to York. p. 177 ; Blanf.J. A. S. B. 



xxxviii, pt. ii, p. 173; Hume, J.A.S.B. xxxix, pt. ii, p. 116; 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 83. 

 Ptyonoprogne rupestris (Scop.), Hume, N. 8f E. p. 84; id. Cat. no. 



91 ; Oates in Hume's N, fy E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 180. 

 Cotile rupestris (Scop.), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. x, p. 109. 

 The Mountain Cray Martin, Jerd. 



Coloration. Upper plumage, sides of the head, wings, and tail 

 ashy brown ; a large white spot on the inner web of all the tail- 

 feathers except the middle and outermost pair ; chin, throat, and 

 breast white, tinged with pale rufous, the chin and upper throat 

 spotted with brown ; abdomen and sides of the body rufous ashy ; 

 under tail-coverts dark ashy brown. 



The young has the whole upper plumage, wings, and under tail- 

 coverts margined with rufous, and the lower plumage uniform pale 

 rufous. 



Bill black ; legs and feet fleshy ; claws dusky ; iris dark brown 

 (Scully). 



Length about 6 ; tail 2-4 ; wing up to 5-4 ; tarsus '45 ; bill from 

 gape -55. 



Distribution. The whole Himalayas as far east as Bhutan and 

 the plains as far south as the Nilgiri hills. The range of this 

 Martin is probably much greater than above indicated, for 

 Davison observed a Ptyonoprogne in Tenasserim, which was 

 probably of this species. The Crag-Martin has an immense range 

 out of India, being found in Southern Europe, Northern Africa, 

 and a great portion of Asia. 



Habits, Sfc. Breeds amongst precipitous rocks high up in the 

 Himalayas in April, constructing a saucer-shaped nest of mud, 

 attached to the rock. The eggs are described as being white, 

 speckled with red and purple. 



