74 OUR INDIAN CERTHIIN^:. 



that of the English one being much louder and somewhat 

 different in tone. The Indian species is much more silent. 

 I have before noticed the conspicuous difference in the eggs. 



" This species is the C. familiaris of some Indian ornitho- 

 lologists." 



Now as to the eggs and voice, I can say nothing. I have not 

 an accurate ear for fine distinctions of sound as Mr. Brooks' 

 unquestionably has, and I have seen only six eggs of the Euro- 

 pean and three of the Cashmere bird, and though these bore out 

 Mr. Brooks' contention, the number is far too small, in the 

 case of eggs, to enable any one safely to hazard an opinion. 



But as regards the primaries, I have examined 13 English 

 and European specimens of familiaris and six Cashmere speci- 

 mens of Hodgsoni, and in all these Mr. Brooks' diagnosis held 

 thoroughly good. 



From Europe Mr. Brooks writes to me that he has examined 

 a very large series of familiaris, and that in all these also his 

 diagnosis held good. 



As to the other points dwelt upon by Mr. Brooks, I attach less 

 value to these, as though his distinctions seemed to me generally 

 correct. I came across specimens of familiaris, which led me 

 to doubt whether they could always be implicitly relied on to 

 diagnose the species, irrespective of the markings on the pri- 

 maries. 



Now it must be admitted, that the one difference, on which 

 Mr. Brooks relies, and which appears to me to be truly cons- 

 tant, is a very small one ; but accepting the axiom usually 

 admitted by ornithologists, that any difference, however small, 

 is, if constant, of specific value, I do not see how we can 

 reject C. Hodgsoni, more especially when it is usually, if not 

 invariably, characterized by other marked differences in size 

 and coloration, and when no true familiaris has as yet been 

 obtained in Cashmere, nor, so far as I have yet been able to 

 learn, any Hodgsoni in Europe. 



Mr. Brooks continues : — 



" 3.— Certhia nipalensis, Bodgs. 

 Certhia discolor, Bly. 



" Any one who has examined Mr. Hodgson's drawing of C. 

 ?iipalensis must have seen at a glance that it represents the 

 earthy brown breasted bird ; and 1 have therefore no hesitation 

 in uniting both species under Hodgson's term. 



" The supposition that the brown-breasted bird could be 

 identical with either of the two species next to be described 



