CERTHIA NIPALENSIS, Hodg*. 



Nepaulese Creeper. 



Certhia Nipalensis, Hodgs.— Blyth, Mon. of Indian Certhiada.— -Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. iii. Appendix, 



p. 7.— Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 188. 

 Certhia discolor, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xiv. p. 580 ?— lb. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Beng., 



p. 188 ? 



Mr. Blyth has published several short notices of a Creeper which he considers to be distinct from 

 both the C, Nipalensis and C. Himalayana ; and which he says is " distinguished by having the entire 

 under parts uniform dingy brown, or very much sullied albescent ; whereas in the preceding species the 

 under parts are pure white tinged with ferruginous on the sides of the breast, and the flanks as well 

 as the lower tail-coverts are deep ferruginous. Upon a first view it might be thought that the under parts 

 of C. discolor are merely dirty, but the colour is not to be washed out, and five specimens before me 

 are all quite similar ; while in the three Nepaul specimens of the other (C. Nipalensis), the white is 

 alike pure, and the flanks deep ferruginous." I have had an opportunity of making a careful comparison 

 of the bird, to which Mr. Blyth has assigned the appellation of discolor, with the true C. Nipalensis of 

 Mr. Hodgson : in size, and in the general markings of their upper surface they are precisely similar ; on 

 the other hand, as Mr. Blyth states, the whole of the under surface of his C. discolor is of a sordid greyish 

 brown. I do not wish to detract from the value of Mr. Blyth's opinion, which future research may prove to 

 be well-founded ; but I have thought it better to figure both on one plate, rather than give separate repre- 

 sentations of birds in which so slight a difference is found to exist. Mr. Blyth states in one of his papers, 

 that the C. discolor is common at Darjeeling, and in another that it replaces C. Nipalensis in Sikim. 



As will be seen on reference to the accompanying Plate, this is in every respect a typical Certhia. No 

 account, so far as I am aware, has yet been given of its habits, actions or economy ; but we may reasonably 

 suppose they are very similar to those of the other members of the genus. 



General plumage dark brown with a reddish tinge; the feathers of the crown with a reddish brown stripe 

 down the centre; over each eye a broad buffy stripe ; ear-coverts and upper part of the back dark brown, 

 edged with black and with a mark of buff down the centre; wing-coverts tipped with sandy buff; primaries 

 and secondaries crossed by a band of buff, the former also margined with buff, and the latter with a narrow 

 line down the centre and a spot at the tip of the same colour; throat and abdomen white; flanks, upper 

 and under tail-coverts rufous ; tail reddish brown ; irides dark brown ; bill and feet pale brown. 



The figures are of the natural size ; the upper one being a representation of the C Nipalensis, and the 

 lower of the bird which Mr. Blyth names C. discolor. 



IBflQlH >->Av- H 







