276 Mr. E. P. Ramsay's Notes on Birds breeding 



stragglers, however, may be found breeding almost at any time. 

 I have found them building in the Dobroyde stables, both in 

 the months of February and June; and on April 17th, 1864, 1 

 took a nest with fresh eggs from the same buildings. 



In choosing a site for the nest they seem to be less parti- 

 cular than in their time for breeding. Almost any building 

 wdll serve them where they can obtain a horizontal beam or 

 ledge. On this they place their round bowl-shaped nest, the 

 wall of which is composed of pellets of mud, mingled with 

 grass, and securely fastened on the beam. As soon as the 

 mudwork is dry, it is warmly lined with grasses, horsehair, or 

 feathers; and the nest is then ready for the eggs, which are 

 usually from three to five in number, '75 in. in length, by "5 

 in breadth. The ground-colour is of a delicate white, having 

 numerous dots and freckles of yellowish-brown and faint lilac 

 sprinkled over the whole surface, but more thickly at the larger 

 end. The nests are 4 to 6 inches wide, by 2*5 inches deep. 



Sometimes a band of this species and the Fairy Martin * will 

 take possession of the upper story of some deserted house, the 

 latter building their long flask-shaped nests in clusters under 

 the eaves, while the former enter at the windows and take 

 possession of the cross beams and rafters. I have seen both 

 species breeding under the same roof at the Glebe, Sydney. 



In 1858, while fishing off" a small steamer, which, having 

 been out of use for some months, was moored a few hundred 

 yards from the north shore, in the Sydney harbour, I observed 

 a pair of these Swallows fly round the boat, and frequently 

 dive underneath the paddle-box. After a long search I disco- 

 vered their nest, which was composed of black pitchy mud, 

 lined with seaweed and feathers. It was placed upon one of the 

 horizontal beams of the paddle-box, and contained three young 

 ones, about half fledged. The man in charge informed me that 

 the nest had been made when the steamer was lying lower 

 down the harbour, and upon its being tugged to where it then 

 lay the birds flew round and round it the whole time, evidently 

 in a great state of excitement. 



« [C/. Ibis, 1865, pp.299, 300, and correction. Ibis, 1866, p. 127.— 

 Ex).] 



