OUR INDIAN CERTHIIN.E. 77 



and my C. discolor inhabiting Sikhim, making- three Hima- 

 layan species of typical Certhia." 



Following" Blytk, Mr. Gould figured and described the white- 

 breasted species (July 1850) as nipalensis, giving the brown- 

 breasted one as probably or possibly a mere variety, while 

 again, in 1862, Jerdon (B. of I., I., p. 38) described the white- 

 breasted species as nipalensis. 



Never, so far as I can ascertain, has the name nipalensis 

 been connected in any published utterance with the brown- 

 breasted species (except where this latter was treated as a mere 

 variety of the other) until Mr. Brooks so connected it in the 

 passage above quoted, and if this be so, it is needless to say 

 that this third species of Mr. Brooks must stand as Certhia 

 discolor, Blyth. 



Mr. Brooks continues : — 



4.— Certhia Stoliczkae, N. S. 



"This species, as far as as the upper surface is concerned, 

 resembles C. nipalensis* ; but the bill is much shorter and weak- 

 er, the chin and throat are fulvous, and the breast warm 

 buff, increasing in rufous tone to the flanks and lower tail-co- 

 verts, which are bright rusty brown ; the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts, as in C. nipalensis] , are bright rusty brown, even 

 brighter perhaps than in that species ; but the colour of the 

 tail feathers is less rufous, particularly so as regards the shafts 

 of the feathers. The long claws, especially those of the an- 

 terior toes, and the large foot, are noticeable in this new spe- 

 cies ; in fact it could almost be separated by the foot alone. 

 Sometimes its throat alone is nearly white, but from this point 

 the fulvous tone covers the lower surface" 



I agree generally in the above, the species is unquestionably 

 a good one, but I would not lay so much stress on the size of 

 the foot, which, though exceeding that of the true nipalensis 

 {Mandellii apud Brooks), differs but little from that of the 

 true discolor (nipalensis, apud Brooks). 



Mr. Brooks continues :— 



"5.- Certhia Mandell^ N. S. 



u [Note. — This is probably the Certhia nipalensis of Jerdon's 

 Birds of India.] 



tl A bird of similar dimensions to the last, but with longer 

 and more curved bill and smaller feet and claws/' 



" The throat and breast are bright silky white ; abdomen and 

 sides tinged with brown, and flanks washed with rusty ; lower 



* i. e. discolor vera. — Ed., S. F. 

 f i. e. C. discolor.— Ed., S. F. 



