216 CERTHIID/E. 



Hume, Str. F. 1879, p. 262 ; Gadoiv, Cat. It. Br. Mus. viii. p. 349. Sitta 

 himalayana, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xix. p. 579; id., Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. 

 p. 190. Sitta nipalensis, HoJgs., J. A. S. B. v. p. 779. The HIMALAYAN 

 NUTHATCH. 



Above deep slaty blue with a purplish tinge ; below pale rufescent whitish, 

 deepening and becoming rich rufous, rusty or chestnut red on the sides of 

 the breast, flanks, abdomen and the whole of the under tail coverts ; a black 

 band from the nostrils through .the eye to the shoulders ; quills and lateral tail 

 feathers blackish, the outer two pairs having a large white subterminal patch, 

 and the basal two-thirds of the central pairs pure white. 



The female has the throat, foreneck and upper part of breast, a pale cream 

 colour. Bill dusky bluish ; changing to fleshy grey towards the base ; hides 

 dark brown ; legs fleshy grey. 



Length. 4-5 to 4-75 inches; wing 2-7 to 2-9 ; tail 1-45 to r6; tarsus 07. 



Hab. Nearly throughout the Himalayas. Abundant in Sikkim, also about 

 Darjeeling, frequenting large trees. It has been recorded from Nepaul, 

 Kumaon, Mussoorie and Bhootan. 



718. Sitta neglecta, Wald., Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. v. p. 218; 

 Hume, Sir. F. 1874, p. 473; 1875, p. 87; Elwes, P. Z. S. 1875, p. 661; 

 Blyth, B. Bunn. p. 112; Htime and Dav., Sir. F. 1878, p. 201 ; Hume, 

 Sir. F. 1879, p. 90; Bingham, Sir. F. 1879, p. 90; id., Sir. F. 1880, 

 p. 171 ; Oates, B. Br. Burm. p. 131 ; Gadoiv, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 349. 

 The BURMESE NUTHATCH. 



Whole upper plumage, wing coverts, outer webs of all the quills and the 

 central tail feathers slate colour; inner webs of the quills dark brown, the 

 primaries with a patch of white at their bases ; lores and a streak reaching to 

 the nape black ; chin, throat, cheeks and ear coverts fulvous white ; lower 

 plumage chestnut, paler on the upper breast ; three outer pairs of tail feathers 

 black at the base, ashy towards the tip, with a subterminal spat of white on the 

 inner web; the next two pairs slaty on the outer web and black on the inner ; 

 the tips of the latter also slaty ; under tail coverts slate colour, broadly tipped 

 with white ; iris brown ; upper mandible bluish black, lower plumbeous ; legs 

 and feet dark plumbeous. (Oates.) 



Length. 5-5 inches; wing 3-2 ; tail 17 ; tarsus 075; culmen 073. 



Hab. Burmah, from the Karen hills to Tenasserim. According to Gates, 

 it is common in the plains of Pegu, and in the Karen hills of the Tonghoo 

 district. Mr. Davison found it in the northern and central portions of 

 Tenasserim as far south as the base of Mooleyit mountain. Captain Bingham 

 states that it is very common in the Thoungyeen Valley, and Captain 

 Wardlaw-Ramsay procured it in Karenne. Found only in the dry forests ; 

 usually seen in pairs climbing the trunks and branches of trees, the bark of 

 which it searches for insects. 



