262 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF NEPAL. 



247.— Tichodroma muraria, Lin. 



Male. — Length, 6'3 ; expanse, 11"8 ; wing, 4 ; tail. 2*3 ; tarsus, 

 087; bill from gape, 1'2; bill at front, 0"93; closed wings 

 short of tail, 0"45. Spots on the primaries pure white. 



Female. — Length, 67 ; expanse, 13 ; wing, 4*1 ; tail, 2"3 ; 

 tarsus, 0'9 ; bill from gape, 1'3; bill at front, 1*0; closed 

 wing short of tail, 0'4. 



Bill and claws black ; feet black, tinged with brown ; irides 

 dark brown. The sixth and seventh primaries have the spot on 

 the inner webs golden yellow. Mr. Hodgson gives a figure of 

 this species in which the yellow spots on the wings are pro- 

 minently shown, but he says : — " Grolden drops of alars often 

 wanting/' 



The Wall-Creeper was found in winter only, in the Nawakot 

 district, the valley of Nepal, and the Markhu Valley, but not 

 in any great numbers. It frequented the rocky sides of 

 streams, and boulders along their course. 



248. — Sitta himalayensis, Jard. and Selb. 



Three males, May, June and August. — Length, 4*55 to 4*75 ; 

 expanse, 8"6 to 9*1 ; wing, 2'8 to 29 ; tail, 1*4 to 1-5 ; tarsus, 0'65 

 to 0-7 ; bill from gape, 065 to 074 ; bill at front, 0-5 to 0-53 ; 

 closed wings short of tail, 0*2 to 0*3 ; foot, length, 1-35 to 1-4, 

 breadth, 095 ; mid-toe and claw, 0'85. 



Bill black above and at tip ; lower mandible and base of 

 upper bluish grey horny; irides dark brown; feet dingy 

 gi'eenish brown ; the soles yellowish green ; claws dusky. 



Three females, February, May and June. — Length, 4*6 to 

 4-85; expanse, 8-7 to 9-0; wing, 2-77 to 2 9; tail, 1-45 to 

 1-5; tarsus, 0-6 to 0-73 ; bill from gape, 0-65 to 07; bill at 

 front, 0*49 to 052 ; closed wings short of tail, 0"1 to 0'35. 



Bill bluish black horn}^; base of culmen and of lower mandible 

 grey horny ; irides dark brown ; feet dingy brownish, the 

 soles greenish yellow. 



lliree young birds, May and June. — Length, 4'15 to 4 5; 

 wing, 25 to 2*6; bill from gape, 06 ; bill at front, 0*4. 



Upper mandible dusky ; lower mandible and gape horny yel- 

 low ; irides blackish ; feet dingy fleshy, paler rufescent below, 

 but otherwise not differing from adult female. 



The White-tailed Nuthatch is common on the hills round the 

 Nepal Valley, from 5,000 to 9,000 feet, throughout the year, 

 but never seems to stray into the central woods. In summer 

 it was abundant in the forest on the Sheopuri Ridge; it was 

 usually seen in parties on small, rather young trees, and waa 

 very bold and active. 



