THE BIRDS OF GILGIT. 315 



43— Cuculus himalayanus,* Blyth. (200). 



Not very common. Appears at the same time as G. 

 canorus. 



44.— Coccystes jacobinus, Bodd. (212). 



One specimen, a straggler, a female, apparently breeding, 

 brought in by a native who bad killed it with a stone, 15th 

 June. None others seen. 



45.— Oerthia himalayana, Vig. (243). 



Very common below 6,000 feet in winter, disappearing 

 at end of March, when it goes up to the forests above. In 

 winter plumage the whole of the underparts are dark sooty, 

 gradually changing to white as spring comes on, not, appa- 

 rently, by a moult, but by change of colour. The size of bill 

 varies greatly according to age : a young bird four months 

 old has the bill at gape 0*62 inch ; one of eight months, 0*8 ; 

 full-grown, 1, 



One specimen has the tail very closely barred, as also has 

 one shot in Chitral. 



46.— Certhia hodgsoni, Brooks. (243 Us), 



A single specimen, a male breeding, obtained at 9,000 feet, 

 by Dr. Scully, on the 11th June. Tail unbarred; throat and 

 abdomen silky white ; lower mandible white ; first four primaries 

 unspotted. 



Length, 5-2 inches ; wing, 27 ; tail, 2*1 (damaged) ; tarsus, 

 0*6 ; bill from front, 0*46 ; bill at gape, 0'8. 



47.— Tichodroma muraria, Lin. (247). 



Very common indeed in November and December, but 

 began to disappear in January. Two specimens were shot 

 after the middle of March with the black throat fully deve- 

 loped. During the summer not one was seen even up to 

 16,000 feet elevation. 



48.— Sitta leucopsis, Gould. (249). 



A permanent resident ; breeds at 10,000 feet. 



[I do not know how Blyth's name can be retained, I have compared specimens 

 from the Himalayas, the Assam and Munipur Hills, Burmah, the Malay Peninsula, 

 China, Siam and Sumatra, and can discover no difference, and Blyth himself finally 

 adopted Schlegel's view that str iatus, Brapiez (vide B. of B., p. 79) was the correct 

 name for this species. Possibly some further evidence which has escaped me has 

 transpired, but for the present Indian ornithologists had better adhere to the name 

 itriatus.— A. O. H.J 



