9 



Dr. W. T. Blanford gives the following note : — " Bank-Martins are rare in Soutliern 

 Persia, and the only specimen obtained was one shot by 3Iajor St. John on his road from 

 Tehran to Bushire. De Pilippi, however, found them abundant at Miana in Northern 

 Persia, between Tabriz and Kazvin." 



Mr. W. D. Gumming has met with the species at Pao in the Persian Gulf, and says 

 that excepting in December and January the species has been seen during the whole 

 course of the year. Colonel Swinhoe notes its arrival at Candahar at the latter part of 

 March, but not in large numbers. Sir Oliver St. John states that it is rare in Kelat. 

 In India it appears to be a very rare winter visitant. Jerdon observes : — " I have found 

 the Sand-Martin somewhat rare in India. I got specimens at Jaulna and saw it occa- 

 sionally at Mhow and Saugor, and also in two or three localities on the Ganges, but 

 very few, generally one or two together, in company with the Common Swallow, and 

 always near water." 



The Hume Collection contains a specimen from Sindh, procured on the 14th of 

 January, 1877 ; and Dr. Blanford writes : — " I have obtained three specimens in Sindh, 

 two shot by myself on the Manchhar Lake, the third near Bohri." 



In Gujerat Colonel Butler speaks of it as only a rare visitant in the cold weather. 

 In Cachar Mr. Inglis states that it is extremely common, and he shot a specimen at 

 Dilkusha as late as the 15th of April. Mr. Hume, in his list of the birds of Manipur, 

 writes : — " I first met with this species at the Logtak Lake, where, on the 19th of March, 

 I noticed a huge mixed flock of this and Cotile sinensis hawking over a meadow, and 

 shot a few of each to make sure. Again, on the evening of the 8th of May, a large 

 flock of the present species only appeared on the Machi ridge where I was encamped, 

 and hawked about until dusk, flying extremely fast and high, so that I procured a 

 couple with great diflO-Culty. This Machi ridge is about 5300 feet high where the 

 Martins were most abundant, and except for a small pond (which they did not in any way 

 affect or notice) there was no water for miles. Once more I saw a few more hawking at 

 eventide, late in May, about the huge broad moat which surrounds the Eaja's Palace at 

 Manipur Town. While, therefore, it is scarcely rare, it is, on the other hand, by no 

 means one of the common birds you meet with every day. I have this species from 

 N.E. Cachar, from Sadiya, and from DoUah, which is near the last-named place. It 

 occurs, but probably as a seasonal visitant only, in many parts of Pegu and the plains 

 portions of Tenasscrim, north of Moulmein." Mr. Oatcs writes :■ — " A somewhat rare 

 winter visitor to Pegu and Tenasscrim, and it proliably also occurs in Arrakan. I 

 observed it in the Pegu river on several occasions." 



Messrs. Hume and Davison, in their list of the birds of Tenasscrim, observe : — 

 " Confined apparently as a seasonal visitant to the tracts between tlie Sahveen and 

 Sittang rivers. It was common late in January and early in Pebruary over the whole 

 of the level country lying in the Thatone sub-district ; but Mr. Davison has not as yet 

 seen it elsewhere in Tenasscrim. A few of tliis s|)eeies were also observed close to the 

 town of Moulmein at the latter end of j\Iay." 



Dr. Taczauowski, in his work on the birds of the Eastern Pahcarctic Ilcgion, suni- 



3p 



