17 



same place on the 26th of June following found tliat tlie same pair, in the interim, had 

 built a rough nest and reared a bj-ood, which had flown about four days before, and the 

 parents were busy repairing the nest for a third batch of eggs. The usual number of 

 eggs is four or five." 



With regard to Swallows in Manipur, Mr. Hume writes : — " One form or the other 

 is common throughout the region, and in Manipur I found the somewhat larger form 

 { = 11. rustica) common to a degree. In the hills, western, southern, and eastern, chiefly 

 about water, in the Ko^ium Thull and the basin itself it was found passim. In the basin 

 they were building early in March, and in the hills in May." Col. God win- Austen found 

 a Swallow breeding at Asalu, in the Khasia Hills, in April, which was doubtless also the 

 present sjiecies. 



Mr. Oates observes : — " Found abundantly over the whole of British Burmah. 

 Most of the birds seen are immature, and maybe observed all the year round. The adults 

 apparently visit Burmah chiefly in the winter, from September to April. I have not 

 seen any indications of its breeding in the Province. The Common Swallow, according 

 to my observations, is to be found pretty well all the year through in Burmah. It is 

 always seen in large numbers flying in circles after its insect food, and frequently settling 

 on telegraph-wires, dead trees, bare fields, and stalks of grass. On a cold morning they 

 may frequently be observed resting on the suimy bank of some river in immense flocks," 



As before mentioned, the Pegu birds are true H. rustica, but S. gutturalls occurs 

 there also, and the intermediate form as Avell. Messrs. Hume and Davison state that, 

 in Tenasserim, Swallows Avere excessively common everywhere throughout the province, 

 wherever there were clearings or open spaces. The ample series collected by Mr. Davi- 

 son in Tenasserim for the Hume collection shows that, as in Pegu, both //. rustica and 

 H. gutturalls, as well as the intermediate race, are found in that country. 



We have not seen a specimen of the European Chimney-Swallow from any part of 

 the Malayan Peninsula ; but S. gutturalls occurs there, and intermediate specimens are 

 plentiful in collections. We have, however, seen trueiT. rustica from Java, Luzon, Min- 

 danao, Palawan, Kina Balu, Celebes, and Batchian. Doubtless true H. gutturalls 

 likewise occurs in all these localities, and it is certain that intermediate specimens are 

 equally widely distributed. 



In China, the bulk of the l)irds examined by us have proved to be; IT. gulluralls, 

 and we have also seen some of the intermediate form, but examjiles of the (rue //. rii.stica 

 are in the British Museum from Shanghai and Amoy. 



It would seem, therefore, lliat the western form of Chimney-Swallow is JI. rustlcn, 

 and the eastern form//, gutturalls. while intermediate forms l)et\\t'(Mi these two are 

 imraerous and occupy an intervcnimj,' habitat. It will be impossible, however, lo define 

 the exact limits of each form till a larger series has been examined. 



In Africa, tlu> Common Swallow is chiedy known as a nu'grant, spending its winter 

 season in that continent when absent from Europe. Ca])tain Shelley, in his ' WwAs n\' 

 Egypt,' writes : — "This bird is properly only a s])ring and autumn visitant in l",L;y|)t, 

 arriving there on its way north about the middle of April ; but a lew pussiidy remain in 



