Birds of Southern Afghanistan. 101 



Swallow in Kandaliai* on the 29th January; and five days 

 afterwards one flew into my room^ which proved to be a male 

 with testes enormously swollen. In another week they were 

 with us in thousands, making nests in every convenient spot 

 available ; one pair built and reared their young inside one of 

 the mess tents, which Avas in constant use. The number of 

 these little birds in the city was very remarkable. 



23. HiRUNDO FILIFERA, Stcpll. 



Obtained by Col. St. John in the Kandahar district. 



24. COTILE RIPARIA (Liuu.). 



Kandahar, 1,^, 5,4,81. 



Arrived in the latter part of March, but not in any quantity. 

 I observed also in the beginning of April another species of 

 Martin, but failed in securing one. 



25. Cypselus MELBA (Liuu.) . 

 Obtained by Col. St. John at Kandahar. 



26. Cypselus pekinensis, Swinh. 

 Kandahar, \ <S , 17,2,81 ; Do*., 1 ? , 8,3,81. 



The first Swifts of this species were observed on the 6th 

 February ; there were only three together. I picked one up 

 from the ground outside the courtyard in which my office 

 was situated ; how it got there I cannot say ; it was dying. 

 Neither in this male nor in the female I secured on the 8th 

 of the following month was there any sign of breeding. They 

 were common in April. 



27. Cypselus aefixis, J. E. Gr. 



Obtained by Col. St. John in the Kandahar district. 



28. Caprimulgus uxwini, Hume. 



I saAV a Nightjar when in company with Col. St. John at 

 Dubrai on the 25tli April, and another at Gatai on the fol- 

 lowing evening ; he said it was probably C. univini, as he had 

 only obtained that species of Nightjar in the country. 



29. Merops VTRiDis, Linn. 



Was observed at Pirchowky and at the one or two small 

 patches of cultivation in the lower portion of the Bolan. 

 Observed nowhere west of Mach. 



