Zoological Society. 193 
PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
April 8, 1845.—William Horton Lloyd, Esq., in the Chair. 
Abstract of a paper on Nepalese Birds, by Bryan H. Hodgson, 
Esq., Corr. Memb., late British resident at Nepal :— 
BRAcHYPODINA. 
Genus Stachyris, mihi (olim Cilathora). Types, S. nigriceps, pyrops 
et chryseus, all new. 
Bill as long as head, strong and straight, elongate-conic, much 
compressed ; towards base much higher than broad, with its ridge 
elevated and keeled between the large nareal fosses; rounded for- 
wards, and the tips either straight, entire and depressed, or the upper 
one suddenly inclined, with remote notch; gape smooth; frontal 
plumes rigid, and concealing the base of the bill; nares placed at fore 
end of the fosse, and covered by a salient arched incumbent scale, 
which closes the aperture forwards ; tongue narrow, simple, with bifid 
jagged tip; wings short, bowed, perfectly rounded; tail moderate, 
gradated, rather cuneate than fan-shape, and either frayed or subrigid ; 
feet suited to creeping and clinging; tarse elevate and strong, longer 
than central toe and nail, and nearly or quite smooth; toes short, 
depressed, unequal, basally connected ; hind large, and equal to outer 
fore toe; nails repent and Parian. Exclusively monticolous and shy 
of man; not gregarious ; feeds on tiny hard insects and the larvee and 
pupe of tree-haunting species—rarely on seeds ; exclusively arboreal ; 
builds large globular nests, which are fixed upon and between the 
crossing twigs of low thick bushes, and lays four or five eggs, of a 
pale fawn-colour, either unmarked or spotted with brown. 
Ist species, S. nigriceps, mihi.—53 inches long; bill to gape, 14; 
tail, 2; tarse to sole, 1$; central toe and nail, 14; hind toe and 
nail, ,®;; closed wing, 22. 
Colour.—Above medial red-brown, deeper and purer on wings and 
tail; below sordid rusty, brightest forwards; top and sides of head 
black, picked out with hoary; chin hoary, confined by a black band 
running from the cap towards the breast; legs fleshy; bill horn- 
yellow, darkened on ridge; iris pale orange. 
2nd species, S. pyrops, mihi.—Olive-brown above, sordid rusty 
below and on the sides of head and neck; beneath and before the eye 
and under the chin a black spot; bill sordid sanguine, dusky on the 
ridge; legs horn-colour; eye sanguine. 44 inches long; bill, 3; 
tail, 2; tarse, ?; central toe and nail, ,9,; hind, ;4,; wing, 2. 
3rd species, S. chryseus, mihi.—Above vernal green, deeply tinged 
with golden; below bright golden; cap with dusky stripes; bill 
dusky ; legs yellow. Length, 4% inches; bill, ;9,; tail, 2; wing, 22; 
tarse, 2; central toe and nail, 4; hind, ;7,. 
Remark.—These singular birds belong I think to Swainson’s group 
of the Brachypodine, among the creeping genera of that group; but 
they show some tendency to pass to the Leiotrichanians, by means 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol, xvi. 
