THE BIRDS OF KOIIAT AND THE KURRAM VALLEY. 185 



M. intermedins does not, Major Magrath assures me, occur in Bannu, andl 

 31. leucogenys there is always more or less true to type. Dr. Sharpe also con- 

 curs in this], 



[320.] Sitta kashmieensis. Brooks's Nuthatch. 



Fulton, J. B. X. H. S. xvi. p. 48 (Chitral : very common from 6,000 to 11,000' 

 ft. ; Ward, op. cit. xvii. p. 1 11 (obtained in April in Kashmir). 



Fairly common on the Peiwar Spur of the Safed Koh and in the adjoining, 

 nullahs from 7,500 to 10,000 ft. 



[323.] Sitta leucopsis. The White-cheeked Nuthatch. 

 Fulton, J. B X. H. S. xvi. p. 48 (Chitral : very common from 7,000 to 

 12,000 ft.) ; Rattray, t. c. p. 424 (fairly common above 8,000 ft. : Murree 

 Hill) ; Ward, op. cit. xvii. p. Ill (fairly common). 



This is the common Nuthatch of the Safed Koh, from 8,000 ft. to tree-limit.. 

 Its curious call-note, resembling the word " pain " (pronounced like the 

 French word for " bread "), may be heard all day long. 



[327.] Diceueus ater. The Black Drongo, or King Crow. 

 Rattray, J. B. N. H. S. xii. p. 338 summer visitor to Thall ; Fulton, op. cit. 

 xvi p. 48 (Chitral : common in summer up to 5,500 ft.) ; Ward op. cit. xvii. 

 p. Ill (Kashmir : occurs up to 7,000 ft.). 



One of our commonest summer visitors from the plains up to 8,500 feet m 

 the Kurram Valley, the first birds arriving in the middle of March and the 

 species becoming common a fortnight later. It disappears towards the end 

 of October Probably, however, the Drongo we observed above 7,000 feet on 

 the Safed Koh belonged to the allied species D. longicaudaius, the differences 

 not being very marked and the latter being a common bird in the Murree 

 Hills Unfortunately no examples were procured. 



[341.] Certhia himalayana. The Himalayan Tree-Creeper. 

 Fulton, J. B. N. H. S. xvi. p. 48 (shot in August) ; Rattray, t. c. p. 424 

 (Murree Hills : very common) ; Ward, op. cit. xvii. p. lit (abundant up to 

 10,000 ft.). 

 623. 9 ad. Kohat, 1,760 ft., 29th February. 

 690. 9 ad. „ „ 16th March. 



A common cold-weather visitor to the District from September till April, 

 occurring on the Samana up to 6,000 feet. It does not by any means restrict 

 itself to trees : I have often noticed it climbing up walls. 



Breeds in fair numbers on the Safed Koh, from 7,000 to 9,000 feet. 

 The call-note is a faint squeak, rarely heard in winter. In summer its 

 loud but rather monotonous song is constantly uttered. 

 [348.] Tichodroma mcraria. The Wall- Creeper. 



Marshall, J. B. N. H. S. xiv. p. 602 (Quetta : occurs in winter from 1,000 

 feet upwards) ; Fulton, op. cit. xvi. p. 48 (Chitral : common from October 

 till April) ; Ward, op. cit. xvii. p. Ill (winter visitor sometimes assuming 

 black throat-feathers.) 



40. Ad. ? Khushalgarh, 1,200 ft., 16th December. 



2<i 



