8 



tlie sea-level to 8000 feet. Mr. Wyatt met with the Roek-Swallow in company with 

 C. obsoleta on the highlands above the Arahah, between Akabah and Petra. He never 

 saw it in the Peninsula of Sinai, where C. obsoleta is common. 



The Crag-Swallow is apparently found in suitable places throughout Asia Minor ; 

 and Mr. C. G. Danford, during his adventurous ride across the country, says that it was 

 " common in rocky neighbourhoods on the plateau and among tbe mountains." In 

 Southern Russia Nordmann had no proof of its occurrence, but he states that it is 

 found in the province of Ghouriel, and he thinks that it may occur in the Crimea. 

 In the Caucasus it breeds at some elevation on the mountain-steppes and passes, as 

 Mr. Seebohm has written from the notes of Radde and Bogdanoff. Mr. Blanford gives 

 the following notice of the species in his work on ' Eastern Persia ' : — " I only met with 

 C. rupestris on the Persian Highlands, where it was tolerably common, keeping about 

 craors. I found it breedinsr in a ruined caravanserai at Dehsrirdu on June 29th, but I 

 could not get at the nests to see if they contained eggs. They were attached to the 

 vaulted roofs of the cells in the caravanserai. Menetries found this bird breeding on the 

 inountains of Talish in June. De Pilijopi, who met with G. rupestris around Demavend 

 in the Elburz mountains, gives as another locality Bandar Abbas, in the Persian Gulf, 

 on the authority of Horia." The latter occurrence probably refers to C obsoleta. 



In Central Asia the late Dr. Severtzoff stated that the species breeds in Turkestan, 

 and Dr. Fiusch met with it at Lepsa at the foot of the Alatau Mountains. By the late 

 Dr. Russow it was found breeding in the Issander-Kul district, and he also observed 

 it near Baissun in Western Turkestan. Dr. Scully, in his notes on the avifauna 

 of Eastern Turkestan, writes: — "This Crag-Martin was first observed in Eastern 

 Turkestan, in August, between Sanju and Kizil Agliil. After that it was seen every day 

 along the Arpalak stream and the Karakash Pi,iver. It flew about, hunting over the 

 water, and perched on the high rocks near the streams. At Kizil Aghil I was informed 

 by the inhabitants that this bird left them when the leaves fell off the trees, and re- 

 appeared again in sjiring when tlie trees began to blossom ; they said that the nests 

 were placed in the clefts of rocks, near the river. The Turki name for this species is 

 Taglt Karloghacli (' Mountain Swallow '), and I need scarcely add tliat it was never seen 

 in the plains." The late Dr. Stoliczka, during the Second Yarkaud Mission, found the 

 Rock-Martin common in May near Pasrobat, where it was apparently going to breed. 

 He also met with it in Ladak, at Shargo), on the 20th of August, and at Lamaguru on 

 the 23rd; again at Sanju on the 28th of October. Here also Dr. Henderson often saw 

 it, and he noticed it both on the upward journey and on tlie return on the banks of the 

 Indus near Le, and it was also numerous about Dras. lu his notes on the birds of tbe 

 Pamir Ptange the late Dr. Severtzoff writes : — " Seen on migration late in August. 

 Eamilies of these birds were seen in July near the sources of the Kashgar-Darya and in 

 the mountains of Altai. They probably breed at a lower elevation, and ascend these 

 lieights as soon as the young are able to fly." Messrs. Homeyer and Tancre have also 

 recorded the species from tlie Altai Mountains. 



