CEUTIIIA. 435 



taken in early June and the others between the 18th and the end 

 of that month. The nest is like those of the rest of the genus, a 

 pad of moss, lined with a few feathers and placed high up in 

 a crevice or in between the tree and some projecting piece of 

 bark. The eggs are like those of himalayana but apparently vary 

 greatly in size; twenty-five eggs average J5'8 x 11*9 mm. and 

 the greatest length and breadth are 16'8 X 12'6 mm. and the 

 least 14-8 X 11-1 and 15-0 x ll'O mm. 



Habits. This Tree-Creeper seems to be a bird of rather higher 

 elevations than most, never descending below about 7,500 feet in 

 the breeding season and ascending up to 10,000 feet. With this 

 exception there is nothing special calling for remark about it. 



Certhia discolor Blyth. 



Four races of this species are found within the limits of this 

 work, ranging from Nepal to the extreme east of Burma and the 

 Shan States ; these four include one hitherto undescribed but 

 referred to by Gates as being found in Karenni and as being 

 inseparable from the Sikkim bird. Further material, however, 

 shows that when series from the two places are compared one 

 with the other they differ very greatly and can be easily distin- 

 guished from one another. 



Key to Subspecies. 



A. Lower plumage earthy-brown, fill vescent 



on posterior flanks and abdomen .... C. d. discolor, p. 435. 



B. Lower plumage more fulvous, especially 



on throat C. d. mtmipur&wit, p. 437. 



C. Much darker above ; chin, throat and 



breast reddish fulvous C. d. victories, p. 437. 



I). Very dull, with little ferruginous above 



and no fulvous tint below C. d. fulif/inosa, p. 438. 



0. d. fuliyinosa is not unlike 0. d. meridionalis Eob. & Klo.ss, 

 Ibis, 1910, p. 609, but can be distinguished by its paler lower 

 plumage which is more a smoky grey than dark grey and without 

 any tinge of rufous on the belly. 



(451) Certhia discolor discolor. 

 THE SIKKIM TBEE-CUEEPEB. 



Certhia discolor Blyth, J. A. S. B., xiv, p. 580 (1845) (Darjeeliug) ; 

 Blaiif. & Gates, i, p. 331. 



Vernacular names. Saddyer-plio (Lepcha). 



Description. Upper plumage dark brown, streaked with fulvous ; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts bright ferruginous ; tail bright reddish- 

 brown with red shafts and obsoletely cross-rayed ; wings dark 



