COTILE 257 



Length. 4-25 inches; wing 3-5; tail 17. 



Hab. India generally; rare in the south, numerous in Sind, Punjab, N.-W. 

 Provinces, Bengal and Nepaul ; also in Kutch, Kattiawar, Jodhpore, North 

 Guzerat, the Deccan and Concan. It is recorded from N. Pegu and the 

 Indo-Burmese countries to China. In Sind it is a resident, and breeds at 

 Buggatora and upwards towards and beyond Sehwan, in holes in the river 

 banks, about January. 



769. Cotile 'COncolor (Sykes), Gray, Hand-l. B. i. 73; Hume, 

 Nests and Eggs, Ind. B. p. 83 ; Aitken, Str. F. 1875, p. 214; Butler, t. c. 

 P- 453; Hume, t. c. p. 453; id., Str. F. 1876, p. 35. Hirundo concolor, 

 SyJees, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 83 ; Jerd* Madr. Journ. xi. p. 238 ; Gray, Gen. B. 

 i. p. 58 ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 119. Cotyle concolor, Boie, his, 1844, 

 p. 170, Bp., Consp. Av. i. p. 342 ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 165, No. 90 ; Blanf., 

 Ibis, 1867, p. 403 ; Sutler^ Str. F. 1877, p. 277. Ptyonoprogne concolor, 

 Adams, Sir. F. 1873, p. 370; Fairbk., Str. F. 1876, p. 254; Davids and 

 Wenden, Str. F. 1878, vol. ii., p. 77 ; Hume, Str. F. 1879, p. 84; Butler, 

 Cat. B. Sind, &V., p. 13. The DUSKY CRAG MARTIN. 



Above uniform dark sooty brown ; wing coverts like the back ; bastard 

 wing, primary coverts and quills dark brown, externally washed with the same 

 brown as the back ; tail feathers dark brown with a white spot on the inner 

 web of all but the two centre feathers and the outer web on each side ; head 

 like the back ; lores, sides of the face, ear coverts and cheeks uniform dark 

 brown with a few fulvous streaks only on the cheeks; throat and cheeks dull 

 rufescent, streaked with dusky brown mesially ; breast, abdomen, flanks and 

 under tail coverts uniform dark sooty brown, with a few of the feathers of the 

 abdomen paler edged ; axillaries and under wing coverts dark brown with 

 rufous edges. (Sharpe.) 



Length. 4*8 inches ; wing 4*05 ; tail 1*85 ; tarsus 0-35 ; culmen 0-35. 



Mr. Sharpens observations in regard to this species are that the specimens in 

 the British Museum Collection from the N.-W. Himalayas appear to him to 

 belong to a lighter form than typical C. concolor from Southern India, and to 

 have the rufescent shade extended more over the breast. There are also 

 specimens which show a faint trace of a spot on the outer tail feather as well 

 as on the centre ones. 



Hab. Southern India, and the greater part of the Indian Peninsula, except 

 Lower Bengal, extending into Kutch and Kattiawar, and occurring on Mount 

 Abu. According to Jerdon it is rare on the Malabar Coast. He procured 

 it at Vellore and Seringapatam, where it breeds on the large fort walls, also 

 on rocky hills throughout the Carnatic and in Central India. It also extends 

 to the N.-W. Provinces, where it has been obtained at Delhi, and also at 

 Allahabad. In the Deccan it builds in the eaves of lofty houses, and on 

 rocks in the Neilgherries, from February to April and May, The nests 

 VOL. II. 33 



