1922.] the Birds nf >Sind. G59 



Resident in N.W. India, except N.W. Frontier 

 Prov. and extreme N. Punjab. 



2. Riparia r. diluta. — Greyer and "colder" above; collar 



indistinct. Tarsal tuft present. Wing 97-10(i*5 mm. 

 Winter visitor. 



3. Riparia r. indica. — Colour as diluta. Tarsal tuft pre- 



sent. Wing 88-98 mm. Specimens from Pushut, 

 Koliat (breed), Campl)ellpore (breed), Thall (breed), 

 Jlielum (breed). 

 Cotile riparia recorded by Blanford from Rohri and 

 Manchar Lake are undoubtedly diluta (examined in B.M.). 



Riparia riparia chinensis (Gray). "Ababil Paki." 



Tbe small Indian Sand-Martin is resident and extremely 

 common in the Indus valley and canal areas, west of these 

 areas I never saw it however ; no Sand-Martin breeds in 

 the south-west corner of Sind, this part being extremely arid 

 with little or no fresh-water, and so is unsuited to its require- 

 ments in the breeding season. A Sind jheel at daybreak 

 presents an animated scene ; the sun is not yet up and the 

 mist hangs heavy over the water ; little is yet astir save a 

 prowling Marsh-Harrier or two and other kindred spirits. 

 As soon as the sun begins to peep above the horizon the air 

 is filled with crowds of these little Martins, which with a 

 good many Swallows have been roosting in the reed-beds 

 and are now like large phantom moths in the rising mist, 

 flitting about on all sides, welcoming the warmer air w ith 

 their shrill squeaks. 



This Martin breeds early ; already in the beginning of 

 December I saw them excavating holes in the E. Narra ; 

 Doig gives February as the nesting month, and on 2 March 

 I examined one of the many colonies in the banks of the 

 Indus and found a good many nestlings just hatched ; eggs 

 may however be met with much later, and probably more 

 than one brood is reared. 



T consider that the illustration of this l)ird in Hardwickc's 

 111. Ind. Orn. is perfectly recognizable and that Gray's 

 name must stand (c/. J. Bombay N, II. S. xxvii. p. 735). 



