Birds of the Jhelum District. 69 



[Iris dark brown, orbicular sage ; feet yellow-brown, 

 claws blackish ; bill blackish brown above, yellow below. — 

 C. B. T.] 



Note. — The notes on Buntings are very incomplete, as on 

 many occasions I met parties which I was unable to identify, 

 notably at Lilla in September. 



Melophus melanicterus. The Crested Bunting. . 

 A pair of birds seen near the Rak on September 17 were 

 almost certainly of this species. 



Cotile diluta. The Pale Sand-Martin. 



721. 10.5.1913. Jhelum. 1mm. Wing 89 mm. 



898. 11.10.1913. „ „ 98 mm. 



1346. 18.3.1914. „ c? • „ 89 mm. 



1349. 22.3.1914. „ ? . „ 95-5 mm. 



Status not quite certain, but possibly a resident, though 

 there is some ground for supposing that it disappears from 

 July to September during the rains. They breed in February 

 and March along the river-banks and are seldom seen away 

 from the river. 



[Mr. Whistler notes of 898 that it was shot from a 

 number of Sand-Martins of tivo sizes flying about the river 

 in company with a number of Hirundo smithii. This 

 specimen is a juvenile just commencing a full moult, and 

 has longer wings and tail than any other Jhelum specimens 

 sent. I think it may be an example of C. diluta. 



Dr. Hartert (Vog. pal. Faun. p. 813) gives the measure- 

 ments of the wing of C. diluta as "'(^ ? 100-105 mm.," from 

 summer visitors breeding on the K. Lena. This race was 

 described by Sharpe and Wyatt from specimens from Chim- 

 kent and Tashkent in Turkestan. Breeding-birds from the 

 Punjab, however, I find only measure, ^ 95-98, ? 88-89 mm.^ 

 and therefore I think it is justifiable to separate these (and 

 in this Dr. Hartert, who has kindly examined the specimens, 

 agrees with me), which are apparently a resident short-^ 

 winged race, for which I propose the name 



