304 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



and small birds. They breed in holes in trees, which they excavate, 

 or enlarge, with their powerful Woodpecker-like bills, and, like that 

 tribe, they are said to climb well, and to peel the bark off trees, to 

 get at insects. They are a sort of link between the Crows and 

 the Starlings. 



QQQ. Nucifraga hemispila, Vigors. 



P. Z. S., 1830- Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pL 36— Blyth, 

 Cat. 455 — HoRsr., Cat. 845 — Lho-hariyo-pho, Lepch. 



The Himalayan Nut-cracker. 



Descr. — Light umber brown ; the top of the head, wings, and 

 tail blackish, all the feathers of the tail, except the two centre 

 ones, broadly tipped with white ; under tail-coverts pure white ; 

 ear-coverts, chin (and forehead in some), back, and sides of 

 neck, interscapulars, breast, and upper part of the abdomen, spot- 

 ted with white. 



Length 15 inches; wing 9; tail 6^; tarsus 1-^; bill at front If 

 to If ; height /g. 



The bill is shorter and stouter at the base than in the European 

 Nut-cracker, and approaching that of the Jays. The wings reach 

 to within 1^ inch or so of the end of the tail. 



The Himalayan Nut-cracker is found throughout the Himalayas, 

 chiefly frequenting the pine forests. In Sikliim it is rare, and 

 I only got on^ specimen, on Mount Tonglo, 10,000 feet high. It is 

 said to be more abundant in the interior, where pine forests are 

 more prevalent, and occur at lower levels than in British Sikhim. 

 Dr. Adams says that it has a loud discordant cry, like that of 

 the Magpie ; that it is generally seen at high elevations, and lives 

 among the topmost branches of the pine trees. 



667. Nucifraga multimacuiata, Gould. 



Gould, Birds of Asia, ph 



The Larger Spotted Nut-cracker. 



Descr. — General colour chocolate-brown ; wings and tail glossy 

 black; the whole body, except the head, including the wing- 

 coverts, with long and large blotches of white ; primaries with 



