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Hodgson's Martin.

Delichon nepalensis, Hodgs., Moore, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 104, pl. lxiii; Horsf. & M. Cat. i, p. 384 ; Hume, Cat. no. 94; id. S. F. xi, p. 29. Chelidon nepalensis (Hodgs.), Jerd. B. I. i, p. 168; Blanf. J. A. S. B. xii, pt. ii, p. 156 ; Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xiv, pt. ii, pp. 68, 193 ; xlvii, pt. ii, p. 13; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. x, p. 95.

The Little Himalayan Martin, Jerd.
 

Coloration. Rump white, the feathers delicately fringed with black; with this exception the whole upper plumage is glossy bluish black; wings and tail dull black, some of the coverts margined and tipped with glossy bluish black; lores and sides of the head deep black with a very slight gloss'; chin and throat black speckled with white; fore neck, breast, abdomen, vent, and legs white ; under tail-coverts, axillaries, and under wing-coverts deep black.

Some birds, probably the young, have the point of the chin black, the remainder of the chin and the whole throat white ; and in these birds the underparts are not quite so pure a white as in those with black throats.

Bill brown, paler at gape ; legs and toes fleshy white.

Length about 4.5; tail 1.8; wing 3.7; tarsus .45; bill from gape .4; tail quite square at tip.

Distribution. The Himalayas from Naini Tal to the Daphla hills in Assam, and thence southwards through the hill-ranges to Manipur. This Martin appears to ascend the Himalayas up to at least 8000 feet, and it also appears to be found on those mountains throughout the year, as I have seen specimens procured in Sikhim in every month from June to January. It probably visits the lower valleys and plains in the winter months only.

The Little Himalayan Martin.
 

Above, including the wing coverts, glossy blue black; some of the white bases of the feathers as of the preceding species showing through on the hind neck; primary coverts and quills black, edged with glossy blue black ; rump white, the lower feathers barred with black tips ; upper tail coverts glossy blue black, the basal ones white, and barred at the tip with glossy blue black ; tail black with steel blue reflections ; lores, feathers round the eye and chin glossy black; cheeks, ear coverts, sides of upper breast, under tail coverts and throat glossy blue black ; rest of under surface of the body from the lower throat downwards white, slightly mottled with dark bases on the former; thighs and tarsal plumes white; flanks washed with smoky brown; under wing coverts and axillaries black, glossed with blue black.

Length. - 4.1 to 4.3 inches; wing 3.7 to 3.75 ; tail 1.75 ; tarsus 0.35 to 0.4.

Hab. - Eastern Himalayas ; recorded from Nepaul, Sikkim and Nynee Tal. Jerdon says he procured it at Darjeeling at about 4,500 feet of elevation in the valley of the Rungnoo near the mineral springs, where, he adds he found it flying over the jungles in large flocks towards the close of the rains and during the cold weather.

Hodgson's House-Martin.

Delichon nepalensis Hodgs. & Moore, P. Z. S., 1854, p. 104, pi. lxiii (Nepal). Chelidon nepalensis. Blanf. & Oates, ii, p. 271.

Vernacular names. Bere-Dao (Cachari); Inrui-bi (Naga).

Description. Upper part and sides of head, neck, back, scapulars, wing-coverts, longest tail-coverts and tail black, glossed with deep blue: feathers of hind neck white at the base and showing as a broken collar ; rump white ; shorter upper tail coverts white with black tips; wing-quills black, edged glossy ; lower cheeks and ear-coverts unglossed black ; chin and throat unglossed black, the latter generally mottled with white; under tail-coverts black glossed with blue; remaining lower plumage white ; axillaries and under wing-coverts black.

Colours of soft parts. Iris dark brown ; bill horny-brown to blackish-brown; legs and feet fleshy-white.

Measurements. Total length about 120 mm.; wing 96 to 98 mm.; tail 38 to 41 mm.; tarsus about 10 to 11 mm.; culmen 6 mm.

Young birds have no gloss on the black, which is browner and duller and the throat seems more mottled with white; the lower plumage, especially the throat, is suffused with grey.

Distribution. Himalayas from Naini Tal to Eastern Assam and South to Cachar and Manipur.

Nidification. In 1893 I found this little Martin breeding in a huge colony on most inaccessible rocks of a cliff over the Boila stream at about 5,000 feet, a few birds only building under the rafters of a house built on the edge of the cliff. Whymper found an even larger colony, numbering about 3,000 pairs, breeding on a cliff near Nairn Tal in April. Most of these nests were out of reach or were rendered unapproachable by numerous bees' nests but a few of the outlying ones were reached and the eggs were taken, in each case four in number and nearly all too hard-set to be blowable. They are, of course, pure white, rather fragile eggs and vary in length between 17.3 x 13.1 and 19.1 x 12.0 mm. and in breadth between 19.0 X 11.3 and 18.3 x 13.4 mm.

The nests are exactly like those of the Common House-Martin, but in many cases those seen both by Whymper and myself had practically no overhead protection and in these cases the mud sides were continued over the entrance and back to the cliff as a roof. Many nests were built a little apart from others but many also were built in small clusters of half-a-dozen to some twenty or thirty nests. I took eggs from the North Cachar Colony in April, May and again in July in different years and the birds probably have two broods.

Habits. This Martin is a non-migratory bird. Whymper found them present in their breeding haunts in Nairn Tal during December and whenever I visited the breeding colony in N. Cachar the birds were always to be seen hawking around, Summer and Winter alike. They were absolutely tame, flitting backwards and forwards within a few feet of us as we watched them, whilst those which nested in the house went in and out quite regardless of the inhabitants and no wit disturbed by a large and very smoky fire. They are birds of low elevations between 3,000 and 5,000 feet but occasionally are found up to 8,000 feet.

Delichon nipalensis Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds Mus. E. I. Co., vol. i, p. 384, Nov. 8, 1854, ex Hodgs. MS.: Nepal.