312 
BIEDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
black; and by the under wing-coverts and axillaries, whicb are grey. 
C. blakistoni, so far as is known^ is a purely Japanese species, and has the 
upper tail-coverts black like C. urbica, the whole lower plumage light 
brown, not white, and the under wing-coverts and axillaries nearly black. 
C. cashmeriensis , Gould, is very probably only C. lagopoda, but I have not 
instituted a comparison between them. 
The Siberian House-Martin is found in summer in Siberia and Kamt- 
schatka ; and, according to Pere David, it breeds in the high rocks of the 
mountains west of Pekin, in Moupin and in the Central Provinces of 
China. SevertzofF observed it in Turkestan on passage. It is not known 
where it winters, but it must come south in order to find its insect food, 
and it probably ranges at that season of the year over South China and the 
Siamese countries, visiting Burmah at intervals. 
Mr. Seebohm has an interesting note on this little-known species. He 
says : — " This bird was the only Chelidon which I observed on the Yen-e- 
say'. Several pairs arrived on the Arctic circle on the 11th of June, and 
were soon busy hawking for flies and examining their old nests. In the 
village of Koo-ray'-i-ka, opposite the mouth of the river of that name, they 
swarmed in thousands. The nest exactly resembles that of our House- 
Martin; but the birds seemed to be very capricious in selecting a house 
where they might trust their young. One house in particular seemed to 
be the favourite ; and here the eaves were crowded with rows of nests, in 
some places three or four deep. The eggs are, if any thing, larger than 
those of our bird, but also pure white. I observed this bird up to lat. 69°, 
where a few pairs were breeding. I could not perceive any diflPerence in 
the habits or notes of these birds and those of our own species. On the 
return journey I noticed a colony, doubtless of these birds, which had 
built their nests against the limestone cliffs of the Kah'-nin Pass, as our 
bird frequently does in the limestone districts of Yorkshire, the Parnassus, 
&c. As I passed through Yen-e-saisk' in the middle of August, the House- 
Martins were swarming on the church-towers, preparing for departure on 
their autumn migration.^^ • 
