Major J. Biddulph on the Birds ofGUgit. 269 



12. AcciPiTER Nisus (Linn.). 



Out of twenty-one Sparrowhawks from Gilgit Mr. Sharpe 

 identifies only thirteen as true A. nisus, the rest apparently 

 belonging to the larger race which I have called A. mela- 

 schistus of Hume. 



18. BuTEO PLUMiPEs, Hodgs. 



I obtained a male in the rufous stage of plumage from the 

 Deosai plain. 



29. Scops brucii, Hume. 



A fine specimen was brought to me alive, but numbed with 

 cold^ after some bad weather in the beginning of July. 



33. Chelidon cashmirensis, Gonld. 



33a. Chelidon urbica, Linn. 



During the time of our being in Gilgit together, Dr. Scully 

 and myself failed to notice that Ave had more than one House- 

 Martin, and while he only obtained C. urbica, I only ob- 

 tained C. cashmirensis. 



In the beginning of July 1880 the weather, after being 

 intensely hot, suddenly changed, and for four days rain fell 

 on the neighbouring hills, ending in heavy snow during the 

 night of the fourth day, when the thermometer in Gilgit fell 

 to 45° Fahr. 



The following morning a number of Martins were picked 

 up, either dead or so numbed with cold as to be unable to 

 move ; and I then observed that there were two kinds. Of 

 a dozen brought to me, five proved to be C urbica, and the 

 remaining seven C. cashmirensis, all adults. 



A male of C. urbica measures — rlength 5*8 inches, wing 4*6, 

 tail 2*75, tars. 0*4. A female measures — length 5'9, wing 

 4-36, tail 2-75, tars. 0-45. 



A male of C. cashmirensis measures — length 5*36 inches, 

 wing 4'05, tail 2*28, tars. 0"45. A female measures — length 

 5-5, wing 4-03, tail 2-4, tars. O'S. 



All the specimens of C. cashmirensis are dusky beneath, 

 instead of pure white as in C. urbica, and have dusky mesial 

 centres to the feathers of abdomen, flanks, and rump. The 

 under wing-coverts are brown, instead of dirty white as in 



