6 



later on. They live in pairs or families, but never in large communities, preferring rocky- 

 valleys Avhere trees grow, as they like to sit on the bare boughs and tops of trees. The 

 song resembles that of the Chimney- Swallow both when at rest and in flight, but it is 

 louder and more varied. It is never seen ^n villages. The breeding-time in Abyssinia 

 appears to be between the months of September and January, and I found nests in 

 November on the rocky cliffs of Asaru (near Adoa). The latter consist of dung and 

 straw, similar to those of the Common Swallow, and they are placed under overhanging 

 rocks at a height of from ten to twenty feet. A nest found towards the end of November 

 contained fovir half-fledged young birds, and as the males continue an animated song 

 vmtil January, I conclude that the species has several broods." 



The following excellent account is given by Mr. Ilume in his ' Nests and Eggs of 

 Indian Birds ' : — " In the plains of India the Wire-tailed Swallow breeds chiefly in 

 Tebruary and March, and again in July, August, and September ; but I have seen eggs 

 as early as January and as late as November. In the lower ranges of the Himalayas, 

 where it breeds up to an elevation of from 4000 to 5000 feet, I have taken the nests 

 both in April and May, and have had eggs sent me in June. 



" They breed almost exclusively in the immediate neighbourhood of water ; under 

 the cornices of bridges ; under culverts beneath which some little pool remains ; under 

 overhano-iug shelves of rock or kunker, projecting from the faces of stony or earthy river 

 cliffs ; and in cells of buildings overlooking the water. 



" The nest is composed exteriorly of mud, and is usually lined with feathers ; in 

 shape, for the most part, about two-thirds of a deepish cup. I have a note of two nests 

 which I took at Etawah, at a canal bridge, March 8th, 1867 ; one contained three, the 

 other two eggs. Those of the one nest were ready to hatch off; those of the other were 

 quite fresh. The shell of the nest was made of pellets of clay. In shape the first was 

 half of a wide cone, blocked up against the voussoir faces, just below an overhanging 

 cornice. Internally it was carefully lined with a few fine roots of grass and many soft 

 feathers, chiefly those of doves and parrots, so as to leave a neat hemispherical cavity for 

 the ei^fTS. The second was a deep cup, plastered against the face of the bridge, a little 

 way below a square projection, and had absolutely no lining of feathers, only a few 



grass roots. 



" A beautiful nest taken by Mr. Adam in the Etmadoodowla Gardens at Agra in 

 the third week in August, was a broad, shallow, half saucer of pellets of clay, about 5-| 

 inches broad, and about 3 inches from front to back, plastered against one of the walls 

 of the small cells facing the river and near the roof. Several other birds of the same 

 species were breeding in the same cell. The bottom of the nest was about f inch and 

 the sides about i inch thick. The cavity Avas lined with fine grass roots and a very few 

 feathers. It contained three fresh eggs. 



" Mr. Adam remarks : ' On the 15th July, at Sambhur, I observed this species 

 building in an old rest-house. 



" ' The nest was half finished, and was placed in a very exposed place, under the 



