CEKTHIA. 429 



The young are coloured like the adult but have signs of cross- 

 bars on the lower plumage, especially on the sides of the breast 

 and flanks, and are somewhat paler and duller. 



In Certhia the bill is as long, or nearly as long, as the head, 

 slender and curved downwards. The nostrils are long, narrow 

 slits. The tarsus is scutellated and the toes and claws are 

 extremely long. 



Fig. 83. Foot of Certhia. 



The wing is rounded, the first primary being about half the 

 length of the second, and the third a little shorter than the second. 

 The tail and wing about equal in length and the former is com- 

 posed of twelve very stiff pointed feathers and greatly graduated. 



Key to Species. 



A. Tail distinctly cross-barred C. himalayana, p. 429. 



13. Tail without bars or with only faint ones. 



a. Chin, throat and breast white; under tail- 



coverts fulvous C. familiaris, p. 432. 



b. Whole lower plumage earthy-brown .... C. discolor, p. 435. 



c. Chin and throat white, remainder of lower 



plumage deep ferruginous C. stoliczka, p. 438. 



Certhia himalayana. 



Certhia himalayana is represented in India by four well-marked 

 races, and is found from Baluchistan and Afghanistan to Yunnan 

 and the Shan States. It is easily distinguished from all other 

 forms of Tree-Creeper by its boldly barred tail. 



Key to Subspecies. 



A. Upper plumage blackish brown, strongly 



suffused with ferruginous on the rump 

 and upper tail-coverts. 



a. Darker above ; abdomen and flanks pale 



smoky-brown tinged with fulvous . . C. h. himalayana, p. 430. 



b. Paler above ; abdomen and flanks pale 



smoky-brown with no tinge of fulvous. C. h. tceniura, p. 431. 



B. Upper plumage very dark, slightly tinged 



with rufous on rump C. h. intermedia, p. 432. 



C. Upper plumage with no tinge of rufous. . C. h. yunnancnsis, p. 432. 



