454 NOTKS ON THE AVIFAUNA OF MOUNT ABOO 



just before dusk to roost, returning- again in the mornirg be- 

 tween the hours of 6 a m. to 9 A.M. 



[Occurs, so far as I know, nowhere else within the whole 

 region. During the latter portion of their stay at Aboo they 

 make descents during the daylight to the plains. I have one 

 shot near Sirohi for instance, but they belong essentially to the 

 special Aboo ornis. — A. 0. H.] 



100 — Cypselus affinis, Gray. 



Common on the hills and in the plains. Hundreds of the 

 Common Indian Swift breed in the celebrated Dilwarra temples 

 at Mount Aboo. I can corroborate Dr. Jerdon's statement that 

 it is a bird of local distribution, as I have noticed its absence iu 

 many places myself. 



[Common throughout the whole region. — A. O. H.] 



102.— Cypselus palmarum, Gray. 



The Palm Swift is rare. I saw one pair at Mount Aboo at 

 the beginning of the hot weather, but never saw the species 

 there afterwards. 



I also once saw a small party consisting of about a dozen of 

 these birds flying round and round a solitary Palm tree near a 

 village about 20 miles south of Deesa. 



[Unknown, I believe, throughout the whole region. I did not 

 see it at Aboo. Neither did Dr. King. — A. O. H.] 



107.— Caprimulgus indicus, Lath. 



The Jungle Night Jar is tolerably common at Mount Aboo 

 and breeds upon the hill in all probability about March, April 

 and May, as I observed and shot young birds which had quite 

 recently left the nest in the middle of June. In colour the 

 young birds are much lighter than the adults, and the scapulars, 

 as well as other parts of the upper plumage and the tail, are 

 conspicuously marked with rusty buff. I am very doubtful 

 ■whether this species remains at Aboo the whole year, and am 

 inclined to think it does not, as I do not recollect seeing it 

 except in the hot weather. They appear about the middle of 

 May, so that if migratory they probably arrive about that 

 period. They are very noisy, commencing to call as soon as 

 it begins to get dusk. The note is loud and peculiar, resembling 

 the words " chuck chuck chur-r-r" repeated several times 

 continuously. On sallying forth in the evening they usually fly 

 straight to the nearest road or to some open sandy piece of 

 ground, and settle and dust themselves. 1 have often seen as 

 many as four or five together within a few yards of each other 

 thus engaged. 



