MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 393 



found in the plains, having been recorded from Seheria in Borabhoom by 

 Tickell and an A£tJtopyfja was seen in Singbhoom by Ball." It may, there- 

 fore, be worth recording that on the first of April 1913 I secured a male of 

 this species at Laugher (1,933 feet ) in the Balaghat District of the Central 

 Provinces. 



My specimen agrees with Gates' description except that the middle 

 tail-feathers are only "So" longer than the rest, and there is a slight 

 difference in the colouration of the tail, due probably to immaturity. 



E. A. D'ABREU, f.z.s. 



The Museum, Nagpuk, 

 I7tk June 1913. 



No. XI.— THE PALE SAND MARTIN, RIP ARIA RIPARIA DILUTA. 



(SHABPB AND WYATT.) 



So little is known about the distribution of this bird, that the following 

 facts seem worthy of record. While camping along the River Sutlej in the 

 JelJalabad Haquah of Ferozepore District last year I came upon large 

 numbers of Sand Martins that were nesting in the sandy bank of a 

 tributary channel of the river. I accordingly dug out many of the holes 

 but only found 2 eggs in two nests, and 3 eggs in another, the majority 

 of the nests being unfinished. I secured a couple of the parent birds 

 ( S. R. 547 and 548 — 23-2-1912 ) and found them to belong to this race — 

 an identification kindly confirmed by Dr. C. B. Ticehurst. Two eggs were 

 unfortunately broken, but the others measure as follows: — c/3, 16x13; 

 15-5 X 13 ; 15-5 x 12-o and c/2, 17-5 x 13 ; 17 x 12-5. 



On re-examination of a Martin obtained in September, when there were 

 several about ( S. R. 439—24-9-1911, ? ad. ), I find it also belongs to 

 the above race. 



HUGH WHISTLER, 



Jhelum, Indian Police. 



13^ May 1913. 



No. Xll.— NOTES ON THE NESTING OF THE BROWN-NECKED 



SPINE-TAILED SWIFT, CKMTURA INDICA AND THE WHITE- 



RUMPED SPINE-TAILED SWIFT, CH^TURA SYLVATICA. 



It may interest some members to know that the Brown-necked Spine- 

 tail roosts and breeds in large hollow green trees on the Travancore hills. 



I have on several occasions seen colonies of 30 to 50 birds roosting in 

 trees, but have only just svicceeded in finding them breeding. On the 

 12th instant I discovered a tree in which the birds were popping out and in, 

 at the only entrance which was at a height of about 45 feet ; the tree was 

 hollow from top to bottom, and, on cutting a hole in it near the ground, I 

 found 2 nests, each containing 2 fresh eggs. The nests were mere depres- 

 sions in the earth at the foot of the tree lined with dry leaves and straw. 

 The eggs are pure porcelain white with very hard shells, the average size 

 of the 4 eggs is 1-28" x 1". 



I have since tapped another tree in the same way and found three nests 

 at the foot of it, two nests were empty and the third contained two young 

 birds. 



All the trees I have seen occupied by this Swift have been at elevations 

 of 1,000 to 2,000 feet in heavy forest, 



