CEUTHIA. 331 



344. Certhia discolor. The SikUim Tree-Creeper. 



Certhia discolor, Rhjtli, J. A. S. B. xiv, p. 580 (1845) ; id. Cat 

 p. 188 ; Horsf. S? M. Cat. ii, p. 718 ; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 381 ; Godw.- 

 Aust. J. A. S. B. xlv, pt. ii, pp. 70, 194 ; Hume, S. F. v, pp. 75, 78 ; 

 id. Cat. no. 245 ; Gates, B. B. i, p. 135 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 85. 



Certhia nipalensis, Hodys. apud Brooks, J. A. S. B. xlii, pt. ii, 

 p. 255. 



Saddyer-pho, Lepch. 



Fig. 101. Head of C. discolor. 



Coloration. Upper plumage blackish brown, streaked with ful- 

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

 brown with red shafts ; wings dark brown with a pale fulvous 

 band across all the quills except the first four, and another blackish 

 band above and below it ; most of the quills tipped white, and the 

 later ones with a fulvous streak near the end of the outer web ; 

 lower plumage entirely earthy brown ; under tail-coverts ferrugi- 

 nous; a cheek-stripe rufous, varying in tint; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries white. 



Iris dark brown ; bill dark horn, pale below ; legs pale brown 

 ( Wardlaw Ramsay}. 



Length 6 ; tail 3 ; wing 2-7 ; tarsus -65 ; bill from gape '75. 



Distribution. Nepal, Sikkiin, and Bhutan as far at least as the 

 Daphla Hills ; also across the Brahmaputra valley in the Naga and 

 East Naga hills. Wardlaw Ramsay procured this species in 

 Karennee, and his specimens are inseparable from Sikhim birds. 

 It is noteworthy that Hume obtained the distinct C. manipurensis 

 in Manipur. 



345. Certhia manipurensis. Humes Tree-Creeper. 

 Certhia manipurensis, Hume, S. F. x, p. 151 (1881), xi, p. 86. 



Coloration. Resembles C. discolor. Differs in having the chin, 

 throat, and upper part of breast pure buff, and the lower abdomen 

 buffy grey. The bill is also slightly longer. 



Legs and feet pale fleshy brown ; upper mandible blackish ; 

 lower mandible very pale fleshy pink ; iris hazel (Hume). 



Length about 6; tail 27; wing 2-7; tarsus -65; bill from 

 gape -8. 



The coloration of the lower plumage of the Creepers is an excel- 

 lent differential character, being in most, if not all cases correlated 

 with a distinct geographical distribution, so that C. manipurensis 

 may be accepted in my opinion as a valid species. 



