NESTING OF THE INDIAN HIRUNDINES. i) 
se 
Zanthoxylum Rhetsa, D. C..,| faa Tisal, fRa Triphal, FacKes Chir- 
phal. 
Zataria multiflora, Boiss. ...... erat Satar (impd.) 
Lew Mays, Lint vce. aare Makai, gzt Buta. 
Zehneria umbellata, Thwaites. Wraar or Wazt, Gometté or gométa. 
sae paneriana. aad: ace axrest Varali. 
Zinziber Cassumuner, Roxb. ... ata Nisan, qaartt FoF Malabari-halad. 
ss oficiales Roscoe 242 stray Ald, stzay Adral. 
99 5 (dry)........ | GF Stnth. 
»» macrostachyum, Dalz. ataa Nisan. 
Zizyphus Jujuba, Lam. .........| Ate Bor, x Bher, traatt Raibor. 
e. fucosus, Lam.....,..- ary Toran. 
43 vulgaris, Lam....... ..| sata. Unndb (tmpd.) 
” xylopyrus, Willd. ...) gat Guti, afz Ghont, aeaet Bhirg uti, 
Zygophyllum simplex, Linn ... qaatat Patlani. 
AOrNB Ciplyla. co. vo. Treaty or act Nalabargi or barki. 
“NESTING OF THE INDIAN HIRUNDINES.” 
By Lizur. H. H. Barnes. 
Tne Hirundines are popularly known as Swallows and Martins 
(Hirundinine). To these I add the Swifts (Cypsellinw), as they 
have many features in common, and together comprise one family 
(Hirundinide). They are well represented in India, there being no 
less than forty-five species supposed to occur within our limits, but 
of this number five are somewhat doubtful. When we consider 
that there are but four species frequenting the British Isles fexclud- 
ing the Spine-tailed Swallow (Acanthylis eaudacuta), the Purple 
Martin (Hirwndo purpurea), and the Alpine Swift (Cypsellus melba), 
all of which are extremely rare visitors], we at once see how well 
favoured in this respect India is compared with Great Britain. 
Some of these are cold weather visitors only and do not remain to 
breed, and the nidification of many is but imperfectly known. The 
habitat of several is very restricted, while others again, although 
generally distributed throughout the country, are yet extremely 
local. For instance, the Palm Swift (Cypsellus batassiensis) is found 
wherever the tar or toddy palm (Borassus flabelliformis) abounds, 
but nowhere else. In the Hirundines the bill is very small, but the 
gape is unusually large, reaching to a point below the eye. They 
all feed exclusively on insects, usually small ones, such as mosqui- 
toes, midges and gnats. These they invariably capture on the wing. 
