Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/483

 CERTHIAw 437


 * Certhia Dianipurensis Hume, S. F., x, p. lol (1881) (Manipui); Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 331.

Vernacular names. VoJi-ti-tl-Unr/ (Manipuri).

Description. Differs from the precedini; bird in having the upper parts darlcer and the tliroat more fiihoiis.

Colours of soft parts as in C. d. discolor.

Measurements. AVing 66 to 71 mm,; tail 65 to 68 mm.; tarsus 17 to 18 mm.; ciilmen 15 to 16-5 mm.

Distribution. Manipur and the Chin Hills South and East of that State. The bird to the East of the Irrawaddy is not known and may be cither the Manipur bird or some other form.

Nidification. Nests and eggs tal^en by Mackenzie in the Chin Hills, not far from the Manipur border, are just like those of the Sikkim Tree-Creeper but the foriuer were placed in small holes in trees. Mackenzie describes them as little pads of moss lined with a few feathers and a little " fluff." An egg sent me, one of a clutch of four, measures 16-5 x 12-9 mm. but others in Mr. Mac- kenzie's own collection are longer, measuring 17-2 to 17-5 mm. This clutch was taken, hard set, on the 7th of May, but young birds were seen on the wing and shot on this date. Two other eggs taken by Mr. F. Grait measure 16-5 x 12-4 and 15-9 X 13 mm.

Habits. Quite similar to that of the Sikkim Tree-Creeper.

{{c|{{larger|(453) Certhia discolor victorise. The Cuin Hills Tree-Creeper. Certhia victoricv Rippoii, Bull. B. 0. C, xvi, p. 87 (1906) (Mt. Vic- toria).

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Similar to the Sikkim Tree-Creeper but much darker above, a blackish brown, with less fulvous; the throat, chin and breast are a dark reddish-fulvous and the abdomen and flanks are also darker and more tinged with fulvous.

Colours of soft parts as in the last bird.

Measurements. Wing 63 to 72 mm.; tail 65 to 70 mm.; tarsus 17 to 18 mm.; culmen 15 to 17-5 mm.

Distribution. So far obtained only in the high peaks round about Mt. Victoria in the South Chin Hills.

Nidification and Habits. Nothing recorded.