422 Mr. II. Seebohm on the 



places it in tlic genus Anorthura. This is another instance 

 of the folly of attempting to carry out the Stricklandian rules 

 of nomenclature to the letter. There ought to be a rule that 

 no author can raise a specific name into a generic name 

 without making the species the name of which is thus stolen 

 the type of the new genus. The common sense of ornitholo- 

 gists has hitherto preserved them from violating such a self- 

 evident proposition. I venture to think that no ornithologist 

 of any standing will follow Sharpe in this attempt to rob 

 poor Jenny Wren of a name she has borne for three quarters 

 of a century. 



Certhia t^niura. 



Eight examples of this species from Samarcand, originally 

 described by Severtzow from Turkestan, appear to be distinct 

 from Certhia himalayana. They are somewhat larger and 

 paler in colour than their Indian ally, with much longer bills. 

 In length of wing they measure from 2*7 inches to 2'9 (C. 

 himalayana 2"65 to 2*8), and the length of the culmen varies 

 from '85 to 1*05 (0. himalayana "65 to "75). It is not im- 

 probable that intermediate forms may exist in intermediate 

 localities. 



Certhia scanddlaca, Pall. Zoogr. R.-A. i. p. 432. 



This species, of which Mr. Kibort has sent me an example 

 from Krasnoyarsk, was originally described by 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. 



SiTTA SYRIACA. 



Six examples of this large pale Rock-Nuthatch from Sa- 

 marcand measure respectively in length of wing 3*52 inches, 

 3-45, 3-35, 3-3, 3-25, and 3-25. Unfortunately they are not 

 sexed. It is not known that intermediate forms between this 

 species and Sitta neumeyeri occur, though both of them are 

 found together in some localities*. 



* Cf. suprH, p. 418.— Edd. 



