tail-feathers blackish glossed with dull blue ; crown of head like the back, from which it is 

 almost separated by a nuchal collar of deep ferruginous, the sides of the hinder crown and sides 

 of the neck being of the latter colour and converging on to the nape, the nuchal collar being 

 only interrupted by a few dark-blue plumes in the form of spots ; a narrow frontal line and a 

 streak over the eye deep ferruginous ; lores whitish, tipped with dusky ; ear-coverts pale rufous 

 with dusky shaft-streaks ; cheeks, throat, and under surface of body whitish, slightly marked 

 with fulvous on the breast and flanks; the whole of the underparts narrowly streaked with dusky 

 blackish shaft-lines, disappearing on the under tail-coverts, the long ones of which are deep blue- 

 black with whitish bases ; under wing-coverts and axillaries rather deeper fulvous than the breast, 

 with nearly obsolete dusky shaft-lines, which are, however, more plainly developed on the small 

 wing-coverts near the edge of the wing ; quills dusky below, paler along the edge of the inner 

 web : " bill, legs, and feet black ; iris brown" (W. V. Legge). Total length 6"2 inches, culmen 

 0-35, wing 4'45, tail 8*1, tarsus 0-5. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length 6-0 inches, culmen 04, wing 4-25, tail 2-05, 

 tarsus 05. 



Had. The greater part of the Indian Peninsula and Ceylon. 



This is the smallest of the four Indian Mosque -Swallows, and is distinguished not only 

 by its lesser dimensions, the wing not exceeding 45 inches, but by its pale under surface 

 and the narrow striations of the breast, which, as Mr. Oates remarks, are hardly broader 

 than the shafts of the feathers themselves. 



It is the Swallow of the plains of India, and does not extend its range into the 

 Himalayas, where its place is taken by S. nlpalensis. Mr. Brooks says that in Kashmir 

 he found it as far up as Chungus on the Tami River. A specimen from Naoshera, 

 obtained on the 6th of May, is in the Hume collection. According to Colonel Butler 

 it is found in Sind, ditch, Kathiawar, Gujarat, and Mount Aboo. " Rare in the plains 

 in the hot weather. Common in the cold weather throughout the region, except Sind, 

 where it is rare." A specimen procured by Mr. Murray at Sehwan on the 15th of 

 December is in the Hume collection, and he also procured it at Lakki. In Cutch it is 

 very common, according to Dr. Stoliczka, "A few birds," writes Colonel Butler, 

 "remain in Deesa the whole year, but most of them retire to the hills during the hot 

 weather, leaving about the 30th of April, and returning about the 25th of June. It is 

 not very common near the Southern Lake, but breeds there." 



He also observes : — " Very abundant at Aboo, where it breeds during the rains in 

 June and July, fixing its curious retort-shaped nest usually to the roof of a cave, and 

 laying two or three pure white eggs. I am doubtful whether it occurs in the plains 

 during the hot weather, but I am inclined to think it does not. My opinion is that 

 most of them pass the hot weather on the hills, where they abound at that season, and 

 breed in the rains, returning to the low country again about the end of September, soon 

 after which they disappear entirely on the hills, and become very common all over 

 the plains." 



