cornice, about 10 feet from the ground. Both birds were hriuL^ing mud from an open 

 well about 200 yards off, but the male seemed very inactive, and appeared to be sliv of 

 approaching the nest while I stood about 8 yards off with my Innoculars watchin"- tlie 

 building operations. 



" ' The mud was taken from the water's edge, each bu'd taking frona ciuht to ten 

 pecks at the mud to fill its bill, and sometimes with the mud a piece of line grass was 

 taken. When the birds reached the neat, the mud Mas discharged along the edge liy 

 shaking the head and body, much like the shaking which takes place when a pigeon is 

 feeding its young. The grass or fibre was carefully worked along the edge of tlie nest, 

 and great care seemed to be taken by both birds to make the portion attached to the 

 wall very secure. 



" ' On the 18th July I once took a nest with four eggs from an old well. The esjis 

 are pinkish white with rust-coloured spots and blotches. On several occasions durinL;' 

 August, I have found the nest of this bird about old buildings along the -Tunma near 

 Agra. The nests generally contained three eggs.' 



"Three, I think, is the usual number of eggs, but I have found only two, bard-set; 

 and Mr. ~W. Blewitt, who took several nests during July and August, all built luuler 

 canal and drain bridges in the neighbourhood of Hansie, found four eggs in two of the 

 nests. 



"Where there is plenty of water, from three to seven nests will often be found quite 

 near to each other ; \vhile Avhere there is little water, they are usually quite solitary. 



" Dr. Jerdon remarks that ' it breeds in old buildings, on walls, in stone bowries or 

 wells, and very commonly under bridges, and in rocks overhanging water, making a 

 small nest, open at the top, and laying two or three eggs, wliich are white, sparin-ly 

 spotted with rusty red. I always found the nest single, and we seldom see more than 

 five or six couples in one place.' 



"The eggs are in shape a long narrow oval, a good deal pointed towards one end. 

 In some there is a pyriform tendency, and some are so excessi\ely long and narrow as to 

 i-ecall the eggs of Cypselus affinis. In texture they are line and delicate. Avilii, wIumi 

 fresh, a beautiful gloss, which, however, almost disappears as incubation proceeds. Tiu" 

 ground-colour is white, or pinkish white (wlicn fresh and uuhlowii, abiKot a delicate 

 salmon-pink, owing to the yolk partially showing througli), richly speckled, spultrd. ;hi(1 

 blotched with various shades of reddish brown and brownish red. Tlie extent nf ili.- 

 markings varies greatly, as well as the intensity of their colouring. Some are s|)(iiic(l 

 pretty uniformly all over ; but in the majority the markings are most nunirndis at tiic 

 large end. Occasionally, they are gathered into a wcU-inarkcd /.duc lowariis tliisi'iid; 

 and one cg^ has a nearly conrplete cap of cDiillucnt markings, eo\ cimiil;- tin- wlmlc ol' the 

 larger end. These are the most richly marked Swallow's eggs that 1 know, and some 

 specimens arc excessively handsome. 



" The eggs vary greatly iu dimensions, viz., iVomUOo to 0^ iiicii in length, and from 



