THE SWALLOWS. 103 
when it is common in Burma. This bird is smaller than 
the House-Swallow proper, and has a less forked tail ; 
moreover its colour is rather different, as the red of the 
throat runs down nearly through the black band of the 
breast, and the parts below this are pure white instead of 
cream-colour. 
Fhe House-Swallow builds a cup-shaped mud nest, 
and lines it with feathers ; the eggs are white or pale pink 
with red and purple spots, and four or five in number ; 
its breeding time in the Himalayas is April and May, and 
it frequents houses and outbuildings as it does at home. 
The House- and Sand-Martins (Chelidon urbica and Cotile 
riparia) are also found in India, but are not common birds. 
THE WIRE-TAILED SwaLLow (Hirundo Smithii), called 
Leishra in Hindustani, isa non-migratory species inhabit- 
ing both India and Africa, but in the Himalayas it is only 
a summer visitant. It is a little smaller than the House- 
Swallow, but has the two outer tail feathers very much 
longer, so as to look like threads or wires ; in the male 
they may exceed the other tail feathers by five inches, 
thus equalling the length of the body of the bird ; in the 
hen they are not quite so long. 
This is a very prettily-coloured Swallow, the upper 
parts being steel-blue, with white spots in the tail; the 
crown is chestnut-red, and all the underparts pure white. 
Young birds have duller caps and cream-coloured 
breasts, and their tails are not so long as those of old 
ones. 
This bird breeds at any time of the year, according to 
locality ; the nest is cup-shaped, and the eggs white with 
