HIRUNDO JAVANICA. 599 



paths of the estate. It is found about the villages of the Kandyans, and hawks for its food over patnas 

 and cleared hill-sides, as well as round the stores and buildings of the estates. On some bare spot or on a 

 pathway in the open it may sometimes be seen resting, and I have occasionally seen it perched on a dead 

 branch or stake ; but its favourite post is the eave of some building. Its flight is very buoyant but not at all 

 swift, and its twitter is not unlike that of the Common Swallow. 



Nidification— -The breeding-time of the Hill-Swallow is in April, May, and June; it nests in the 

 verandahs of bungalows and outbuildings of estates, and under the eaves of native houses, building sometimes 

 beneath the ceilings of rooms without evincing any fear of the inmates. Such a nest I once observed in the 

 sitting-room of the old Banderawella Resthouse. It is usually placed against the side of a beam or projecting 

 baulk of timber, and resembles in its construction that of the last species, though somewhat smaller. It is 

 composed of mud and lined with feathers, threads, small pieces of rag, and such materials as it may pick up 

 about its adopted residence. The eggs are usually three in number, stumpy ovals in shape, and of a white 

 ground-colour, spotted pretty evenly with brownish red. In Southern India its nesting-habits are much the 

 same; and it appears from the following interesting anecdote which I subjoin, from the notes of Miss Cockburn, 

 that its domicile is sometimes invaded by the truculent Sparrow. Her remarks, as quoted by Mr. Hume 

 in ' Nests and Eggs/ are as follows : — " They are fond of returning to the same places in which they build 

 every year, and appear to prefer erecting their little nests in verandahs and eaves of outhouses. Many years 

 ago I remember watching 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 ana 

 told their friends the sad tale in Swallow language, and (as in the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom) 

 some time after, to our surprise, we saw a 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 the work, but they, being accomplished artisans in their own masonry, did not take a second to fi: 

 each piece of clay. It became a most exciting scene, and we fully expected the Sparrow would have been 

 imprisoned for life ; but no, he was much too crafty to allow that ; with one effort he burst through the 

 very small hole that was left unclosed and escaped, being attacked by all the Swallows at the same instant; 

 and this conflict ended by the rightful owners having possession of their nest." This extraordinary feat is, 

 I think, an instance of the most wonderful instinct on the part of birds that it is possible to conceive. 



Both in South India and Tenasserim it commences to build in April, continuing in the former place until 

 June. Mr. Morgan has found the nest on rocks and cliffs, and remarks that it is very firmly cemented to the 

 object against which it is placed. I once found a Swallow's nest in a small cavern or recess in the face of r. 

 cliff in Haputale, and it no doubt belonged to this species. In some eggs there is a tendency in the markings 

 to form a zone at the large end. They measure about 0'77 by 0"5 inch. 



We have the authority of my friend and correspondent Mr. Bligh, Catton Estate, for the interesting occurrence of a 

 Martin in Ceylon. The birds have been seen by him on several occasions during the north-east monsoon in the 

 beautiful Kandapolla valley in the Haputale range ; but he has been unable to procure a specimen so as to identify 

 the species satisfactorily. I accordingly suggest, in this footnote, the possibility of it being the Pale Crag-Martin, 

 and have given Dresser's description for the guidance of any who may hereafter procure specimens in Ceylon. 



Possibly it may be the Cashmere House-Martin, which is very like the English Martin, but has the flanks brownish 

 and the axillaries dark brown ; but as Mr. Bligh mentions the dusky under surface of his bird, I have thought it 

 more likely to be the species here indicated. 



Mr. Bligh, in writing to me in March 1S76, speaks of his discovery and remarks : — " I have seen several but could not 

 obtain a specimen ; it is not, I feel sure, the English bird, as it looks much darker underneath, or rather the 

 white is not so pure." In the cool season of 1877-8 he again saw several, but had no gun with him at the time ; 

 and just as I am going to press with this I receive a letter in which he says : — " I saw a Window-Martin as late 

 as April this year; it came within five yards of me; it is a smaller species than G. urbica and duller in colour." 



This species is an inhabitant of Palestine and North-east Africa, and has been found iu Beluehistan and in Sindh. 



