606 



Sea. Mr. Sabanaeff informs me that it is occasionally met with in the Keshtem, Ufaley, and 

 Uraim (Niejepetrovsk) Ural, sometimes ranging as far as the Kaslinsky Ural, and probably 

 occurs in the Zlatoustovskaya Dacha. Menetries met with it about sixty versts from the Caspian ; 

 and Canon Tristram records it from Palestine as very abundant in localities, but rather a local 

 species, and further states (Ibis, 1865, p. 79) that "there are large colonies in all parts of the 

 country up to the highest ranges of the Lebanon." 



In Africa it is found as far south as the Cape of Good Hope. In North-east Africa Captain 

 Shelley speaks of it (B. of Egypt, p. 171) as being " a rare bird of passage in Egypt and Nubia, 

 only met with in the more mountainous parts during the autumn and spring. Mr. Blanford met 

 with it in Abyssinia, where he did not see it in the highlands ; but many appeared in the Anseba 

 valley at the end of July, none being seen before the 25th. In North-western Africa it is, 

 according to Loche, common during migration in the province of Constantine, but it only occa- 

 sionally visits Algiers and Oran. Mr. Taczanowski saw it in the month of March, two days' 

 journey south of Constantine. Mr. O. Salvin says (Ibis, 1859, p, 302) that it "is more commonly 

 seen about the plains of the Salt Lake district than in the more mountainous parts of the 

 country, though in the latter it is by no means of infrequent occurrence. At Kef Laks I was 

 vain enough to attempt to shoot some specimens on a windy day ; though they frequently came 

 within shot, their pace was so great, that I totally failed in my object, and only succeeded in 

 firing my gun two or three times. The Alpine Swift breeds in most of the rocks of the country ; 

 but I did not procure any of its eggs." Canon Tristram states that it breeds in the cliffs and 

 mosque-towers, and retires southward in the winter ; and Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake, in his paper 

 on the ornithology of Tangier and Eastern Morocco (Ibis, 1867, p. 425), records it as only seen 

 on passage. In Southern Africa it is recorded by Mr. Andersson, who writes (B. of Damara Land, 

 p. 46) that he " observed at Objimbinque a large flight of these Swifts, which, to the best of my 

 recollection, were the first I ever saw in Damara Land. Subsequently I observed immense 

 numbers in various places, and particularly noted them as very numerous on the Omaruru river 

 on the 2nd November;" and Mr. Layard (B. of S. Afr. p. 49) says that it "is very abundant 

 about Cape Town. I have seen it at the Knysna, and have received it from a valued corre- 

 spondent at Swellendam, William Cairncross, Esq., who has sent it with several other Swifts and 

 Swallows killed in that neighbourhood. C. melba appears to reside principally in the mountains, 

 only occasionally descending into the plains when some particular food is to be found. On the 

 top of Table Mountain I have seen it in great abundance. Once, after lighting a fire there, I 

 found myself surrounded by hundreds of them, hawking after the flies which the fire drove up. 

 They dashed through the dense smoke and skimmed along the burning ground at the risk of 

 singeing their wings. I never heard this species utter a note, even in company with C. caffer, 

 screaming and chasing each other in a thousand airy evolutions." 



To the eastward the present species is found to Western India. Severtzoff writes that it 

 breeds throughout the whole western part of Turkestan, near the rivers Aris, Kalles, Chir-chik, 

 the Syr Darja, and Kisil-cum. It is found breeding in the mountains, at an altitude of from 

 1000 to 8000 feet, being only found in the latter altitudes during the summer, whilst it winters 

 up to about 4000 feet. 



Dr. Jerdon says (B. of Ind. i. p. 175) that it is " not rare in the south of India all along the 



