CHELIDON 177 



some eggs the markings are so closely set as to leave scarcely any 

 of the grouud-colour visible, and to give the whole egg a I'eddish- 

 browu or dingy brown mottled appearance, while in a few the 

 small end of the egg is almost entirely devoid of markings. 



In length these eggs vary from 0"68 to 0"S6, and in breadth 

 from 0-6 to 0-76 ; but the average of twenty-two eggs is 0*79 by 

 0"63 nearly. 



Family HIRUNDINID^. 



804. Chelidon urbica (Linn.). The Martin. 



Chelidon urbica {Linn.), Jerd. B. Lid. i, p. 106: Hume, Cat, 

 no. 92. 



Major M. F. Coussmaker writes from Bangalore regarding this 

 Martin : — " I took the nest of this bird on May 1, in the IShemo- 

 gah Districts, Mysore. The spot selected by this colony was a 

 large overhanging rock in the bed of the River Tunga, about three 

 miles from JShemogah ; they appear to have bred in the same 

 place for many years, as the under surface of the rock was covered 

 with old nests. The nests I got were so broken that I could 

 take no reliable measurements, but I shall endeavour to get some 

 more specimens next year. The eggs were mostly hard-set, and 

 the number varied from two to four in each nest. They were 

 pinky white before being blown, and measured '7 X "5. 



" I beheve that this species has not been found breeding in India 

 before. Had I known this at the time I would have made greater 

 exertions to get a perfect nest, but the rock is very difficidt to get 

 at owing to its sliape and position." 



The eggs are moderately broad ovals, a good deal pointed and 

 compressed towards the small end; in some cases decidedly pyri- 

 form. The shell is fine and compact, but with no perceptible 

 gloss, and of course pure white, without any markings. Two ego-s 

 measured 0*75 in length by 0*53 and 0-55 in breadth. 



805. Chelidon kashmirensis, Gould. The Kashmir Martin. 



Chelidon cashmiriensis, Gould, Jerd. B. Lnd. \, p. 107 : Hume 

 Rough Draft N. Sf E. no. 93. ' ' 



This Martin breeds only in the interior of the Himalayas. It 

 lays, as far as I hiow, only in April and May, but is said to have 

 a second brood during the rains. Long ago 8ir E. C. Buck wrote to 

 me that " there is a large colony of these birds about 1| to 2 miles 

 from the Muttyana Dak Bungalow on the old road to Narkunda ; 

 their nests cover the roof of hollows in the rock about 15 to 20 

 feet from the ground. Nest of mud, shallow, cup-shaped, with 



VOL. II. 12 



