206 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



and the rest narrowly, tipped with white on their inner web ; 

 under parts bright ferruginous, paler on the throat and also fore- 

 head, whence passing backward as a supercilium. Wing 4 in., 

 bill to gape 1 in. Inhabits Sikim. 



S. ciNNAMOVENTRis,* Blyth, J. A. S. xi. 459.— Resembles S. 

 ccesia, Michahelles (i. c, the British Nuthatcht), only that the 

 under parts of the male, except the white chin and sides of the 

 throat, are of the same deep maronne colour as are the flanks 

 only of S. casia, the lower tail-coverts being similarly mottled 

 with white. In the female the under parts are of a mucli weaker 

 and more dingy maronne. Wing 2^ in. ; bill to gape 1 in. Hab. 

 S. E. Himalaya. 



S. CASTANEOVENTRis, Franklin, P. Z. S., 1831, p. 121 ; J. & S., 

 111. Orn., 1st series, pi. 165. — Similar to the last but smaller, the 

 bill much narrower and more slender, and tlie general colouring 

 more vivid. Wing 2| in ; bill to gape ^ in. Hab. Himalaya, 

 and hilly regions of India generally. Mr. Jerdon has shot it at 

 Goomsoor, in high forest jungle, and has seen specimens shot at 

 the top of the Gazalhatti Pass, in Mysore. Capt. Tickell obtained 

 it at Chyebassa, and I have seen it in collections from Rajmahl 

 in Bengal, and from Darjeeling. 



S. HiMALAYANA, Jardine and Selby, 111. Orn., 1st series, pi. 

 164 ; S. nijyalensis, Hodgson, J. A. S. v. 779.— A small species, 

 with remarkably short bill, tapering evenly from the base as 

 viewed from above. Colour nearly as in S. casta, but the vent 

 and under tail-coverts of the same unspotted rufous as the flanks, 

 which are paler than in S. ccBsia, and the middle pair of rectrices 

 are white at base, except along the exterior border. Wing 2J 

 in. ; bill to gape ll-16th in. Hab. S. E. Himalaya. 



S. ? Size about that of S. ccBsia, with long and 



slender bill, a black cap, white throat and breast, and dark 

 chestnut belly. Hab. Interior of N.W. Himalaya. 



Subgenus Dendrophila, Swainson. 

 Merelj'^ differs in having a shorter and more feeble bill than in 



* Contracted from cinnamomeoventris. 



f The Scandinavian S. europcea, L., is the species termed asiatica by 

 Temmiuck, and uralensis by Lichtenstein. It dififers only from S. ctesia in 

 having the throat, breast, and abdomen pure white. Some zoologists would, 

 however, consider S. europcea, S. ccrsia, and S. cinnamoventris as but local 

 varieties of a suigle species. 



