1138 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI 11 
March 21st 
22nd 
23rd 
24th 
25th 
26th 
27th 
A similar but smaller scale is present on the tips of the lower 
mandibles. One of the young birds opened its mouth for food 
and made the characteristic rattling sound of young wood - 
peckers. 
No important change. Nestlings still quiet naked but stronger. 
The elbows of the legs have a peculiar swollen comb-hke serrated 
appearance behind. 
Birds still naked. One is only about half the size of the others. 
No great change. 
Only two birds in the nest. The small one must have died and been 
removed by the parents. 
Yoimg birds growing rapidly . Otherwise no change. 
Also feathers and quills just beginning to 
Eyes just opening, 
show. 
„ 28th Feathers developing, especially a curious band or strip across the 
thigh. 
„ 29th Further development. 
„ 30th A tinge of red appearing on crown. 
,, 31st to April 3rd. Steady development in feathering. 
April 4th Red caps and orange backs conspicuous. 
„ 5th to 8th Gradual fuU development of feather tracts. Birds very noisy. 
„ 9th Both birds left the nest. 
The nest box cavity was not enlarged by the parent birds. It was throughout 
kept scrupulously clean. This surprised me as I always understood that the 
removal of the fseces of the young was performed by Passerine birds only. 
No droppings or dirt of any kind were found in the nest until the last day 
before the birds left the nest. 
The young never returned to the nest after leaving it. 
B. B. OSMASTON, C.I.E., I.F.S. 
Gulmakg, Kashmir. 
No. XXIV.-NOTES ON THE NESTING OF THE HLMALAYAN TREE 
CREEPER (CERT HI A HIMALAYANA). 
The following note on the nesting of the Himalayan Tree Creeper (Certhia 
himalayana) may be of interest. Blanford, in the Fauna of British India, and 
also Hume, in Nests and Eggs, state this bird nests high up in taU trees, 40' to 50' 
from the ground. I have found three nests of this bird here, and they have all 
been quite low down near the ground. It is an early breeder, March and 
April, at least they must commence building in March. I had no experience of 
this bird’s habits, so judging from the above authors’ notes I spent hours watching 
them in hopes of discovering their nests, but failed to see them breeding till by 
accident I discovered the nest. 
On the 19th April I was sitting in the shade of a pine tree, when two creepers 
flew on to the next tree, each with an insect in its biU. They were much excited, 
peeping at me round the trunk of the pine, then one bolder than the other, flew 
down to the tree I sat near, and disappeared round the trunk. A few seconds 
later it went off without the insect, and shortly after the second bird did the 
same ; when they had left I examined the trunk and found a large piece of the 
back was detached from the stem, and on touching this to look behind, it came 
away disclosing the nest of 3 nearly full grown yoimg ones. They all flew out, 
and there was also one adled egg. I replaced one chick, the only one I could 
find. The nest was situated only 2 ft. from the ground and composed of a few 
