building, cave, or against some well-sheltered rock. The eggs, usually three in number, 

 are white, spotted with brown and reddish brown, with a few larger markings of a 

 purplish colour. Occasionally four eggs are laid ; but when this is the case I have 

 found that invariably only three hatch. 



" About a week after the first brood have flown the old birds begin to remove the 

 topmost feathers of the nest, replacing them by fresh ones. Three eggs are then again 

 laid, and a second brood reared. After this brood have flown, the old birds still continue 

 to occupy the nest at night, or, more correctly, to occupy the edge of the nest, for they 

 do not get into it, but merely sit close together on its edge. The same nest is occupied 

 the following year, the upper feathers being ouly removed and replaced by fresh ones. 

 Should the nest have been destroyed, a fresh one is built on the same site. The birds 

 do not begin to sit till the full complement of eggs are laid, and both birds take part in 

 tlie task of incubation." 



Mr. "Wait, writing from Coonoor, to the eastward of Ootacamund, observes that they 

 "breed from April to June, building under eaves, bridges, open sheds, &c., and generally 

 against the sides of the rafters. The nest, composed of mud-pellets worked together and 

 lined with soft feathers, is somewhat irregular in its external shape, and has a rather 

 shallow cup-like egg-cavity some 2i inches in diameter ; they lay from two to five eggs, 

 very round ovals, Avhite, spotted with reddish brown." 



Miss Cockburn, writing from Kotagherry, remarks : — 



'•' They are fond of returning to the same places in which they build every year, and 

 appear to j)refer erecting their little nests in verandahs and eaves of outhouses. Many 

 years ago I remember watching for some days a battle between a cock Sparrow and a 

 pair of House-Swallows. The latter had finished their neat nest in our verandah, when 

 the Sparrow discovered it, and never left it except for the purpose of satisfying his 

 appetite. The poor Swallows saw they could do nothing, so they disappeared, and told 

 their friends the sad tale in Swallow language; and as ' in the multitude of councillors 

 there is wisdom,' some time after, to our surprise, we saw a great number of House- 

 Swallows, each with a wee lump of clay in its bill. They flew up to the nest, and 

 succeeded in building up the sides, the Sparrow inside doing his utmost to stop their 

 work ; but tliey, being accomplished artisans in their own masonry, did iiol take a scr ond 

 to fix each piece of clay. It became a most exciting scene, and we fully cxpt'ctcd the 

 Sparrow would have been imprisoned for life; but no, he was much too crafty to allow 

 that. With one eff"ort he burst through the vory small hole which was unclosed, and 

 escaped, being attacked by all the Swallows at the same instant. This conllict ended l)y 

 the rightful owners having possession of their nest. They build liere in the month of 

 April, and lay two white eggs with dark specks and spots." 



Mr. W. Tliefibald makes the followin- remarks on llic breedin- of this bird in 

 Tenasserim : — "Lays in the second week of April, i'.u-s three in numhiT, Ion-, ovato- 

 pyriform; size 0-"7 inch 1iy O-.'^ inch ; eobuii- while, spoiled and rin-ed with umber. 

 Nest a saucer of mud; imier part coarse routs, profusely lined with fealliers and 



