CERTHIJLE. 139 



GENUS, Piprisomse, Blyth. 



Bill short and sub-conical, acutely triangular as viewed from 

 above ; ridge of the upper mandible angulated, and that of the 

 lower slightly so ; both of them curved, the lower one perhaps 

 most ; tip of the upper over-hanging the lower mandible ; nostrils 

 almost closed by the nasal membrane ; gape unarmed ; feet rather 

 small ; tarsus equal to the middle-toe ; outer-toe syndactyle ; 

 claws moderately hooked ; wings long, reaching to the end of 

 tail ; tail short, even. 



Piprisoma agile, TicMl. 



240. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 376 ; Butler, Deccan ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 391. 



THE THICK-BILLED FLOWER-PECKER. 



Length, 4 ; wing, 2'25 ; tail, 1'2 ; tarsus, 0'5. 



Bill and legs leaden ; irides orange-yellow. 



Above dull olive-ashy, greenish on the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts ; wing and tail brownish, the former edged green and 

 the tail slightly edged at tip with whitish, which forms a terminal 

 spot on the inner web of the outermost feathers; beneath 

 dirty greenish-white, with a few faint strise on the throat, fore- 

 neck, and flanks. 



Occurs in the same localities as the last, but as a rule is not 

 very common. 



SUB-FAMILY, Certhinse. 



Bill generally curved, of moderate length, or rather long, 

 slender; wings moderate or long, ample, rounded, of ten 

 primaries, the first short; wing-coverts short; tail longish in 

 most and with the feathers often stiff and pointed, short in some ; 

 toes long and slender, outer-toe longer than the inner, much 

 syndactile ; inner-toe slightly so ; hind-toe very long, and its 

 claw longer than the middle one^; claws long, compressed, and 

 curved and all the toes very mobile. 



GENUS, Salpornis, Oray. 



Bill long, curved, broadish at base, much compressed beyond 

 the nostrils ; wings reaching to the end of the short tail, pointed ; 

 first primary very short, second nearly as long as third and fourth, 

 which are equal and longest ; tail short, even, soft and flexible. 



Salpornis spilonota, Franklin. 



246. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 382; Butler, Guzerat; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 462. 



THE SPOTTED-GREY CREEPER. 



Length, 575 ; wing, 3'5 ; tail, 17 ; tarsus, T6 ; bill at front, 1. 

 Above fuscous-grey, white-spotted, with narrow white streaks 



