AND TYPES OF EGGS. 15 



Glaucidium.) — A great number of owls are found in India, most of 

 them are permanent residents. The short-eared owls {Olus) are the only 

 truly migratory ones. They all lay pure white eggs of a rounded shape. 

 The grass owl {^Soelostrix Candida) lays on the ground in grass. The 

 rock-horned owl {Ascalaphia hengalensis) lays on shady ledges of banks. 

 Some of the wood owls (Bulacca) lay occasionally on ledges of rocks. 

 The screech owl {Strix indica) and the spotted owlet {Ai/iene brama) lay 

 sometimes in buildings or deserted wells, but the place par excellence 

 for finding owls' eggs is in natural hollows in decayed trees. Some of the 

 larger owls which would find holes in any ordinary tree rather tight 

 quarters lay in hollows at the bifurcations of the trunks of large trees. 

 Owls are seldom seen, owing to their nocturnal habits, but some species 

 or other is to be found in every part of India. Some of them live in 

 houses inhabited by man, but the great bulk of them frequent well- 

 wooded districts away from human habitations. 



Hawk owls, {Ninoss). — Nothing is known of the nidification of 

 these curious birds. They affect wooded localties, and are more widely 

 spread than is usually thought. They appear at twilight, perching on 

 conspicuous dead boughs. 



Swallows, (Hirundo) . — Are very widely spread. They are often 

 gregarious aud generally found near water over the surface of which they 

 feed. They occur throughout India, and breed much near human 

 habitations. Their nests, of whatever shape, are all made of pellets of 

 clay, fixed against a building or rock generally with a soft lining. The 

 eggs are pure white in some, but spotted in others. The common swallow 

 {H. rustica) is migratory. . A few pairs only remain to breed in the 

 Himalayas. All the others are permanent residents where found, except 

 perhaps H. daurica which breeds in the Himalayas only, but is found 

 in the plains in winter. 



Martins, {Cotyle, Ckelidon) . — Are very locally spread through India, 

 the sand martins [Gotyle) are found near large rivers. The crag martins 

 {Cotyle) and the house martins {Ckelidon) chiefly affect rocky country, 

 and of the breeding of these latter very little is known. They are all 

 more or less gregarious. The crag martins lay spotted eggs. The sand 

 martins lay pure white eggs. They are partially migratory. 



Spine tails, [Acanthylis). — Of the breeding of the spine tails 

 nothing is known, their amazing powers of flight, and the great dis- 

 tances they traverse in a day, render observation of their habits almost 



