12 



Mr. Cummin"- has sent specimens from Fao in the Persian Gulf, and Mr. Pahner 

 from Bushire. The former gentleman states that tlie species breeds in the huts and 

 telegraph-buildings, in March and April, and he believes that it only leaves Pao in 

 mid-winter — that is, in December and January. , 



With resard to its occurrence in Turkestan, Dr. Severtzoff states that it is found 

 breeding throughout the country. Dr. Pleske records the species from Tschinas in 

 Central Asia, where it was obtained with its nest and eggs by the late Mr. Pussow on the 

 21 st and 22ad of April. He also observed it near Tschiraktschi in the Western Tianshan. 

 During the Porsyth Mission to Yarkand, Dr. Stoliczka noticed the Common Swallow as 

 very common about Sarikol in May. He found it breeding at Yarkand in the same month. 

 Dr. Scully observes that it is " found in great numbers in the plains of Eastern Turkestan, 

 from Sanju to Kashgar, for six months in the year. The birds arrive about the middle 

 of April, and migrate tow^ards the end of October, not a single bird of this species being 

 ever seen in winter. They breed during May and June ; many young birds, just able to 

 fiy, being found in the early part of July. The Yarkandis call the bird ' Ui Karlo- 

 ghach' — ' House Swallow,' and say that it always makes a mud nest on the roofs of 

 houses, the number of eggs laid being from three to five, and that two broods are reared 

 in the season. Unlike the Swift, this species was frequently seen perching on trees, and 

 settling on the ground and on sand-banks." 



The late Dr. Severtzoff, in his notes on the birds of the Pamir range, writes as 

 follows : — " Swallows appear towards the end of August and pass througli uninterruptedly 

 till the end of September. When the weather on the Pamir is bad Swallows return to 

 Gulcha along the Kurshab river, and flying over the mountain-passes, appear on the 

 roads near Osh in Perghana. Probably these are young birds seeking the way to their 

 winter-quarters. One of these birds flew into a traveller's sledge in the Zaalai chain in 

 the middle of September, 1878. It followed his baggage-train daily, and at night sought 

 shelter in the sledge, as far as the Taldit pass. Three others joined it en route." 



Dr. Pinsch noticed the species on Lake Ala-kul on the 7th of May and also at 

 Berezotf. Mr. Seebohm in his account of his Siberian expedition writes as follows : — 

 " On thelGth May a solitary Barn-Swallow appeared, and I did not see another until we 

 were within a hundred miles of Yene-saisk on the return journey. At that town they 

 were common enough." 



In the introduction to the present article, we have given a list'of specimens of true 

 //. rustica in the Hume collection and that of the British Museum ; this affords a thorough 

 indication of the range of the Common Swallow in the Indian Region. The following 

 notes refer, we believe, to the European bird. 



In Afghanistan, writes Colonel Swinhoe, it is " common everywhere during summer. 

 I saw the first Swallow in Kandahar on the 29th January; and five days afterwards one 

 flew into my room, which proved to be a male with testes enormously swollen. In 

 another week they were with us in thousands, making nests in every convenient spot 

 available; one pair built and reared their young inside one of the mess tents, which was 

 ia constant use. The number of these little birds in the city was very remarkable." 



