Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/484

 438 CEETHIID/E.

Description. This little Creeper has hitherto been accepted as the same as the Sikkim Tree-Creeper, from which, however, it is very different. It is both darker and duller on the upper plumage, the brown blacker and the fulvous duller and less in extent; below, the whole plumage is a smoky brown with no tint of fulvous anywhere.

Colours of soft parts and Measurements as in C. <1. discolor. Tt/pe. No. 1903.12.24.363, not sexed. Loi-pang Nan, Mekong, 7,00'o feet. April 1U02. H. M. Thompson & Craddock Coll. British Museum.

Distribution. Shan Slates to Karenni.

Nidification and Habits. Nothing recorded.


 * Certhia sioliczskee Brooks, J. A. S. B., xlii, 2, p. 2/50 (Sikkim) Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 332,

Vernacular names. JJao-moJo-gaJao (Cachari).

Description. Upper plumage black streaked with fulvous; the wing-coverts black with fulvous tips; rump and upper tail-coverts ferruginous; tail brown, the shafts reddish and the outer webs tinged with reddish; quills dark brown, all but the first four with the usual oblique fulvous and black band; the quills tipped with buff and with a subterminal band of buff on the outer ebs; chin and throat whitish; feathers round the eye, supercilium and cheeks buff; centre of breast and abdomen pale fulvous; sides of these parts, vent and under tail-coverts deep ferruginous; under wing- coverts and axillaries pale fulvous.

Colours of soft parts. Iris red-brown; upper mandible dark horny-brown; base of upper and whole lower mandible pale horny; legs and feet pale fleshy horny.

Measurements. Wing 67 to 74 mm.; tail 64 to 71 mm.; tarsus about 18 mm.; culmen 13 to 18 mm., generally about 16 mm.

Distribution. Sikkim and Bhutan to E. Assam. I found it in the North Cachar Hills at 5,000 feet in winter and it possibly extends to the Naga Hills and Manipur.

Nidification unknown.

Habits. Those of the genus. In N. Cachar it haunted the stunted oak forests between 5,000 and 6,000 feet, scrambling in and out of the long moss which covered every tree and hunting for insects in the masses of orchids and long streamers of moss as well as in the crevices in the bark. I never heard it utter anything but a very low squeak and it seemed a very silent bird.