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the true Sitta, and delicate silky plumage. It is barely separable. 

 The Indian species is, however, more social in its habits than the 

 typical Nuthatches, frequenting the under surface of boughs in 

 small parties, and raising scales of bark in the same manner as 

 its congeners, to get at the insects beneath, but never (so far as has 

 been observed) striking or tapping with the bill. The more 

 tropical habitat is also worthy of notice, though confined to the 

 hill forests ; and the Indian species extending its range to those 

 of the Himalaya. 



D. FRONTALIS ; Sitta frontalis, Horsfield, Linn. Tr. xiii. 162 ; 

 figured in Swainson's Zool. 111., 1st series, pi. 2 ; S. velata, Tem- 

 minck ; S. coralUna, Hodgson, J. A.. S. v. 779. Fine blue above, 

 with a broad velvety-black forehead ; lower parts delicate lilac- 

 brown, passing to white on the throat ; bill coral-orange. Wing 

 2f in. ; bill to gape f in. Inhabits the hilly regions of India 

 generally, Burmah, and the Malay countries. According to 

 Capt. Tickell, " it flies and climbs upon the underwood with great 

 rapidity, and is found in the thickest parts of sal jungle." Mr. 

 Hodgson describes it from the central and northern regions of 

 Nepal ; and Mr. Jerdon informs us that " it is found in great 

 abundance in the dense woods of the Nilgiris. I have seen it, 

 though rarely," he adds, " below the ghats, also in thick forest 

 jungle. It hunts, in general, in small parties of five or six ; is 

 very active and restless, creeping round the horizontal branches 

 chiefly, and seeming to prefer the under surface of the boughs, 

 and also running downwards. It feeds on various small insects, 

 which it picks off the bark, but does not tap like the common 

 Nuthatch." Mr. Swainson figures it from Ceylon, where also it 

 is common. It likewise abounds in Assam, Sylhet, Arracan, the 

 Tenasserim provinces, and Malayan Peninsula. Sir St. Raffles 

 observed it in Sumatra ; and Dr. Horsfield in Java. 



A second species is mentioned by Mr. Swainson by the name 

 D.flavipes, probably from the Malayan Archipelago. 



Subfam. ? 



A mere group of convenience, provisionally adopted until the 

 affinities of the genera have been more critically determined. It 

 consists of species which combine the feebler frame, and bill and 

 feet of the Tree-creepers with the soft tail of the Nuthatches. 

 Such is the Australian genus Climacteris, the habits of which are 

 quite those of the northern Tree-creepers, except that they come 



