( 139 ) 



? :]. C.familiaris costae (Bailly). Central and South Europe. Doubtful form, 

 but probably nearest to C.familiaris familiaris and a little darker above. 



4. C. familiaris brachydacti/lu (Brebm). Central Europe, chiefly the western 

 parts. Differs from C. familiaris familiaris in having the rump much darker 

 tawny rufous, the light parts of the feathers of the upper surface less iu extent and 

 not so whitish, the bill generally longer, the hind-claw in the mean shorter. Breast 

 and abdomen never of such a clear satiny white as in C.fatmliaris familiaris, hnt this 

 character is often overrated, as the under parts of western birds are nearly always 

 soiled, the trees in these thickly populated countries being sooty. Flanks rusty. 



5. C. familiaris brittanica (Uidgw.). British Islands : England, Scotland, 

 Ireland, Isle of Man. This is evidently the only form of creeper found in the 

 United Kingdom. Mr. Rothschild and his brother, Mr. Charles Rothschild, have 

 brought together an already nice series from England, Scotland, Ireland, Isle of 

 Man ; but more are still desirable, especially from North Scotland and other less 

 pojjulated districts, where they are clean, those from the thickly inhabited countries 

 being almost black below, from their constant creeping on the always dirty stems of 

 the trees. The British creeper diiiers from ('. familiaris //rac//t/(/acfi/la of West 

 Europe iu the orange-tawny colour of the rump being more extended and slightly 

 more orange, the whole aspect of the upper surface being more rufous, the beak 

 averaging decidedly shorter, the hind-claw longer. 



0. C. familiaris japonica Hartert. Island of Hondo or Nippon. Beak as 

 short as or shorter than that of (.'. familiaris brittanica, wing averaging shorter ; 

 breast purer satiny white, the light markings of the upper surface more white. 

 Much deeper brown, and with less whitish markings than C. familiaris familiaris, 

 and generally smaller. 



7. C. familiaris americana (Bp.). Eastern North America. Very much like 

 C. familiaris brittanica, but the light markings on the upper surface more white. 

 Very much like G. familiaris familiaris and C. familiaris costae, but the rump 

 deeper tawny. The tail sometimes shows obsolete cross-markings. 



8. C. familiaris occiilentalis Ridgw. Pacific coast regions from California to 

 Alaska. Darker and more rusty than C. familiaris americana, also smaller. 

 (Cf. Ridgw., Manual JS\ Amer. B. p. 558.) 



9. C. familiaris montana Ridgw. Rocky Mountains. Much greyer, tlic 

 tawny of the rump more distinctly contrasted with the colour of the back. 



lU. C.familiaris alticola. (Miller). Southern and Central Mexico and Guate- 

 mala. (Might stand as (.'. familiaris mexicana, as the C. mexicana of (imelin is 

 certainly not a Certhia !). Below not so white as all the other above-named American 

 forms ; very dark above ; rump deep ferrnginons, almost chestnut. 



11. C.familiaris albescens (Berlp.). N. W. Mexico and Arizona. Tinge of 

 light markings above more whitish and a little more extended ; rump lighter tawny 

 ferruginous, more white below {Atdi, XIII. p. 310, 1896). 



To illustrate m a sufficient manner all forms of Certhiae a material of over five 

 hundred skins might just be sufficient. The Tring Museum possesses now about 

 a hundred, and for this article I have examined about a hundred and sixty or more. 



The form marked with an asterisk is the principal desideratum of the Tring 

 Museum ; all the others are, although some very poorly, represented in Mr. 

 Rothschild's collection. 



