220 CERTIIIID.^. 



Family CERTHIID^. 



341. Certhia himalayana, Vigors. The Himalayan Tree-Crecper. 



Certbia himalayana, Viy., Jerd. B. Iml. \, p. 380; Ihnne, Rouqh 

 Draft N. ^- E. no. 243. 



Writing from Murree of the Himalayan Tree-Creeper, Colonel 

 C. H. T. Marshall says : — " This is a most diilicult nest to iind, as 

 the little bird always chooses crevices where the bark has been 

 broken or bulged out, some 40 or 50 feet from the ground, and 

 generally on tall oak-trees which have no branches within 40 feet 

 of their roots. There were young in the few nests we found. 

 Captain Cock secured the eggs in Kashmir ; they are very small, 

 being only 0-6 by 0-45 ; the ground is white, with numerous red 

 spots. The nests we found were in the highest part of Murree, 

 about 7200 feet." 



Two eggs of this species which I possess measure 0*69 and 0*68 

 respectively in length, by 0*5 in breadth. 



342. Certhia hodgsoni, Brooks. Hodgson's Tree-Creeper. 

 Certbia hodgsoni, Brooks, Hume, Roiajh Draft N. S: E. no. 2J3 bis. 



Hodgson's Tree-Ci'eeper is the supposed C.familiaris obtained 

 by Dr. Jerdon in Cashmir, of which he gave me two specimens. 



Mr. Brooks says : — "It was seen at Gulmurg and also at Sona- 

 min-g, where Captain Cock toolv a few nests. The egg is much 

 more densely spotted than that of the English Creeper, so as 

 almost to hide the reddish-white ground-colour. Size 0"59 to 0-05 

 inch long by 0-48 inch broad; time of laying, the first week in 

 June." 



The egg is of smooth texture, without gloss, of a purplish-white 

 ground-colour, and fully spotted all over with light brownish red, 

 especially at the larger end. Numerous spots of reddish grey or 

 pale inky purple are intermingled with red ones. 



In shape the egg varies from a somewhat elongated oval, more 

 or less compressed to\\ards the smaller end, to a comparatively 

 broad oval, also slightly compressed towards the latter end. In 

 all the eggs that I have seen, the markings were more or less con- 

 fluent towards the large end. Their dimensions are correctly 

 recorded by Mr. Brooks. 



347. Salpornis spilonota (Frankl.). Tlie Spottcd-Grty 

 Creeper. 



Salponiis spilonota {Frajikl.), Jerd. B. I. \, p. 382. 



Ml'. Cleveland found a nest of this species at Ilaltin, in the 

 Gurgaon district, on the 10th April. The nest was placcnl on a 



