SALPORNIS. 439 



Genus SALPORNIS Gray, 1847. 



The genus Salpornis contains two species, one Indian and the 

 other African. It differs from Oerthia in many remarkable 

 respects, although bearing a great general resemblance to it. It 

 has an extremely long, pointed wing, with a minute first primary, 

 whilst the second primary reaches to the end of the wing. The 

 foot, also, is differently shaped. 



Fig. 85. Foot of Salpornis. 



Salpornis has a typical Certhia's bill, though it is longer than it 

 is in most birds of that genus ; the tarsus is short and the hind 

 claw is much shorter than the hind toe. The tail is composed of 

 12 soft, rounded feathers and is nearly square. 



The sexes are alike and the young are similar to the adult. 

 There is apparently no spring moult. 



(456) Salpornis spilonotus. 



THE SPOTTED-GREY CREEPER. 



Certhia spilonota Frankl., P. Z. S., 1831, p. 121 (Ganges between 



Calcutta aud Benares). 

 Salpornis spilonota. Blanf. & Gates, i, p. 333. 



Vernacular names. None recorded. 



Fig. 86. Head of S. spilonotus. 



Description. Whole upper plumage, wings and tail black, spotted 

 and barred with white ; forehead and crown brownish ; a broad 

 white supercilium ; lores and a line through the eye unspotted 

 black ; chin and throat white, the sides of the latter sometimes 

 speckled with black ; lower plumage pale cinnamon-fulvous barred 

 with black and with white tips to some of the feathers. 



Colours of soft parts. Iris dark brown ; bill above dark blackish 

 horny, below pale horny ; legs aud feet dark plumbeous. 



