Notes and Corrections. 239 



intermediate between M. affinis and M. govinda (melanotis). 

 All I know is, that the same little sooty-brown Kite seen at 

 Calcutta is also found in Scind. The fact is, that the younger 

 birds are more mottled with white, and that uniformity of 

 dark colour is entirely due to age. The large Kite, M, govinda 

 (I will not call it M. melanotis, for it has no right to the name) , 

 varies greatly in size and in the amount of white on the under 

 surface of the primaries ; so does M. affinis ; it varies in size 

 and colour still more. I have had more of the lesser Kite 

 through my hands than any one else, for I shot them plenti- 

 fully in many widely distant parts of India, and I cannot 

 see that there is a third species. Once Mr. Anderson 

 and I considered that we had got a third, which we named 

 palustris, but we afterwards agreed that the name should be 

 quashed. Well, let those who are very anxious for a third 

 species have their own way, for I have long ago found it 

 impossible to convince them ; but at any rate do not let the 

 utterly inexcusable error of calling the lesser Indian Kite 

 ''govinda" be persisted in. I am afraid, however, that 

 Messrs. Gurney, Hume, and Sharpe are too old in the error 

 to be now extricated. 



Certhia scandulaca, Pallas. "It may be described as a 

 pale or arctic form of our Creeper, and is probably identical 

 with the northern form found on the American continent. 

 Its southern limit in Central Asia appears to be Kashmir, 

 where it has received the name of C. mandellii " (Seebohm in 

 Ibis, 1882, p. 422). 



Mr. Seebohm is mistaken. C. mandellii is a Sikhim bird. 

 He probably means C. Iiodgsoni, my Cashmere species. The 

 American species is very like it, and may prove to be iden- 

 tical. I have written to Mr. Hume on this very point, asking 

 for the loan of a specimen or two for comparison. Whether 

 identical with the American bird or not, it is a good species, 

 quite distinct from C. familiaris. 



Milton West, Ontario, Canada, 

 29tli February, 1884. 



