810. Ptyonoprogne rupestris.
The Crag-Martin.
Hirundo rupestris, Scop. Ann. i, Hist. Nat. p. 167 (1769); Blyth, Cat. p. 198. Cotyle rupestris (Scop.), Horsf. & M. Cat. i, p. 95; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 166; Hume Henders. Lah. to Yark. p. 177; Blanf. J. A. S. B. xxxviii, pt. ii, p. 173 ; Hume, J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. ii, p. 116; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 83. Ptyonoprogne rupestris (Scop.), Hume, N. & E. p. 84; id. Cat. no. 91; Oates in Hume's N, E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 180. Cotile rupestris (Scop.), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. x, p. 109.
The Mountain Crag Martin, Jerd.
Coloration. Upper plumage, sides of the head, wings, and tail ashy brown; a large white spot on the inner web of all the tail-feathers except the middle and outermost pair ; chin, throat, and breast white, tinged with pale rufous, the chin and upper throat spotted with brown; abdomen and sides of the body rufous ashy; under tail-coverts dark ashy brown.
The young has the whole upper plumage, wings, and under tail-coverts margined with rufous, and the lower plumage uniform pale rufous.
Bill black ; legs and feet fleshy ; claws dusky; iris dark brown (Scully).
Length about 6 ; tail 2.4 ; wing up to 5.4; tarsus .45 ; bill from gape .55.
Distribution. The whole Himalayas as far east as Bhutan and the plains as far south as the Nilgiri hills. The range of this Martin is probably much greater than above indicated, for Davison observed a Ptyonoprogne in Tenasserim, which was probably of this species. The Crag-Martin has an immense range out of India, being found in Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and a great portion of Asia.
Habits, &c. Breeds amongst precipitous rocks high up in the Himalayas in April, constructing a saucer-shaped nest of mud, attached to the rock. The eggs are described as being white, speckled with red and purple.
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