56 W. T. Blanford— Zoology of Sihhim. [No. 1, 



difference in structure between the two genera. The habits are remarkably 

 similar, Horeites brimneifrons resembling Troglodytes in its movements 

 even more than Tesia does. I watched a bird of the present species for at least a 

 quarter of an hour one day, hunting over mossy rocks and diving into the 

 hollows beneath them. If Tesia be a wren, I suspect Horeites must be 

 classed with it. The note is precisely similar. 



I shot II. brimneifrons twice in the Lachung valley between 10,000 and 

 12,000 feet. Both specimens were moulting their tails, so that I could not 

 take complete measurements. The wing measures 1*85, tarsus - 75, bill from 

 forehead 032, from gape - 5 inch. The iris is brown, legs pale horny, bill 

 blackish above, yellow near the base of the lower mandible. 



Sittidce. 



248 Sitta Himalatensis, J. and S. — A single specimen, shot at 

 about 11,000 feet on the Chola range, differs from Darjiling birds in the paler 

 colour of the head, in a distinct pale spot at the back of the neck, and in the 

 bill being rather shorter. The latter character, however, is slightly variable 

 in most Sittcs, and the pale head may be due to immaturity. Length, 

 measured before skinning, 4"75, ins., wing 2'9, tail 1*45, tarsus - 75, foot 1*5, 

 bill from forehead 0"5. The two outer rectrices on each side have a distinct 

 white spot near their tips much larger, farther from the tip and extending 

 obliquely across the feather in the outer pair smaller, and often confined to 

 the inner web close to the tip hi the next. 



In Northern Sikkim I observed no Sitta above about 7,000 feet. 



Certliiadce. 



244 Certhia nipalensis, Hodgs. — Common from 8,000 to 13,000 feet 

 hi the pine "\joods of Northern Sikkim, in which at the time of my visit I 

 found it associating with flocks of Loplioplianes and Pliylloscopi. It 

 appears in this region entirely to replace C. discolor of Outer Sikkim. 

 Measurement of a fresh specimen : Length 5'5, wing 2 - 8, tail 2 - 8, bill from 

 forehead - 5, tarsus 0'7, foot 1*5 inch. Iris brown, legs horny, bill blackish 

 above, white below. 



ParidcB. 



637 Lophopbajstes DiCHEOirs (Hodgs.). — I at first thought that this 

 must be a new species, as it agrees very poorly with both Hodgson's 

 original description and Gould's figure in the Birds of Asia. In neither is 

 any notice taken of the conspicuous whitish half collar. I find, however, 

 that Dr. Stoliczka has received specimens from the Western Himalayas 

 closely resembling Sikkim birds, and he tells me that on examining Mr. 

 Hodgson's type specimen he found traces of the collar. I give a fresh 

 description of this tit. 



