Birds of the Jhclum District. 
161 
containing a single egg was found on tlic extreme top of a 
large Shisham troe standing in broken ground near the road. 
Wlen flushed the bird merely flew to the top of a neigh- 
bouring tree and sat there taking no notice of the man who 
climbed up to the nest . 
March 2. — Camp at Dumman . Made the acquaintance for the first time 
of the Eastern Linnet (Acanthis cannahhm fringillirosfris) 
which differs from the English race chiefly in the tint of 
rei? on the forehead and breast which are in the Eastern 
bird of a pomegranate red. It was common enough, oc- 
curring in small flocks and in parties of two or three in- 
dividuals. These would often be noted, flying overhead, 
attention being called by their twittering note, or settling 
at the tops of Shisham and Kikur trees. I do not remem- 
ber seeing any on the ground . In the early mornings the 
males were singing freely at the tops of trees around the 
Kest House. The species was noted about for the greater 
part of my tour, but apparently became scarcer towards 
the end. It is, of course, only a winter visitor in these 
parts . 
A Blue -rock Thrush (Petrophila cyanus) noted, also 
a Black -winged Kite (Elanus cacruleus) the first of the 
species that I have seen in this district, although it is said 
to be fairly common in Kohat district, and I found it 
on several occasions in Ferozepore district further south. 
March 3. — Camp Dumman. Met with a small party of Little Green 
Bee-Eaters (Mcrops viridis) — the first of the numbers that 
will spread over the country — in a lew days they had become 
general . This species is a summer visitor only in these 
parts, and immensely common, being one of the familiar 
birds known to everyone : it continues common until the end 
of September, and then departs, all being gone by the 
middle of the month . 
The country round here is almost entirely broken 
up into cliffs and ravines of hard earth, hollowed out by the 
action of rain and sun into all sorts of subterranean cracks 
and crevices. These afford homes to numbers of Blue Rock 
Doves (Cohwiba intermedia) which breed in the cracks—- 
hence it is no unusual thing to be startled by the hasty 
and noisy exit of a pair of the pigeons from the ground 
almost by one's feet. 
A Pine ]'>nnting (Emherizfi Irurnrephalu) and a Wall 
Creeper noted . 
\Iarch 4.— Camp Dumman. The Indian Swift {CypscJns affinis) is 
common here at present and commencing to nest in the 
bungalow verandah. This species is smaller than the English 
bird, and marked with a conspicuous white bar across the 
rump and lower bank. They have much the same noisy 
