234 Mr. E. Hargitt on the 



Hodgson^ who found it in the forests of the lower regions of 

 Nepal, and bestowed on it the generic name of Sasia, from 

 its native title among the Nepalese. Later on he wished to 

 change this name to the more classical one of Comeris ; but, 

 if any change at all be necessary, it appears from the syno- 

 nymy given above that Microcolaptes of Gray would have 

 priority. Sasia, however, has been so universally adopted 

 and is in such general use that any change in nomenclature 

 seems to me unnecessary. Dr. Jerdon states that this little 

 bird is found in Nepal and the Eastern Himalayas, as also in 

 Assam, Sylhet, and Arracan. It is not rare at Darjeeling, 

 from about 3000 to 6000 feet or so. Like Vivia innominata, 

 it hunts chiefly among the brushwood, and more especially 

 among fallen and decayed trees, near the banks of streams. 

 It lives entirely on insects. He never saw it climb on large 

 trees. It is said to breed in holes of trees. Lieut. Wardlaw- 

 Ramsay met with the species on the Tonghoo hills, and Mr. 

 Oates procured a single specimen on the Pegu hills, where 

 he considers it must be rare, though, from its small size, it 

 may escape notice. He observes, '' I shot one while pecking 

 very hard at a bamboo about twenty feet from the ground. 

 It was making a very loud noise, tapping incessantly for 

 some minutes. To judge from appearances presented on 

 dissection, they must breed towards the end of April, ^^ In 

 Tenasserim, according to Mr. Hume, it is found throughout 

 the province, but not ascending the higher hills. Mr. 

 Davison gives similar notes on the habits to those recorded 

 above. There appears to have been considerable confusion 

 regarding the colouring of the sexes in this species. Malherbe 

 states that they are alike, but does not appear to have exa- 

 mined specimens himself. Mr. Hodgson also says that the 

 sexes are alike. The late Dr. Jerdon mentions that the fore- 

 head is ochreous in females, from which I suspect he had a 

 young male before him, as, in my experience both of this 

 species and S. abnormis, the females diflfer from the males in 

 having the forehead entirely rufous. 



I have examined the following specimens : — 



