CERTHIAD^E — THE CREEPEKS. 125 



C. familiaris is more asliy bencatli tliaii any others, and C. cosfce is purest 

 wliite beneath of all. Nearest C. familiaris, in the American series, as regards 

 tints of the upper parts, are the I'acitic coast specimens of C. amcrirana, — 

 while the latter are most like the Atlantic re;.;ion specimens of the same. 

 C mexicana is to be compared only with the North American forms, thougli 

 it is the only one approaching yWw;///«/7'.'> in the ashy lower parts. 



C. f urn il inns is at once separateil from the rest by having the tail shorter 

 than the wing. 



G. roster, is almost precisely like Eastern specimens of C. amcricana in 

 colors, but is absolutely pure white below, and without the distinctly yellow- 

 ish crissuui of the American bird. The bill and claws, however, are consid- 

 erably longer than in Eastern amcricana, though their size is almost equalled 

 by those of Western specimens ; the cohn'S are, however, more decidedly 

 different. 



There is ne\er any deviation from the generic pattern of coloration ; but 

 the variation, *r;/)f)H 7 indiriil ikiIh of cacJi form, in length of the bill and claws, 

 as well as the tail, is remarkable. 



Certhia familiaris, \;u. americana, Bonap. 



BEOWN CREEPER. 



Certhiii funni, B.\r>TnN', Fragiuents of the Natural History of Pennsylvania, 1799, 11. Cer- 

 thia familiaris, ViEiLL. Ois. Am. Sept. 11, 1807, 70 (not the European bird); also of 

 WiLsox and Audubon. — M.iynakd, Birds E. Ma.ss. 1870, 93. Certhia amcricana, 

 BoNAP. Comp. List. 1838. — Reich. Handl). 1, 1853, 265, pi. dcxv, figs. 4102, 4103. 

 — BAniD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 372; Keview, 89. — Max. Cab. Jour. 1858, 105.— 

 CooPEU & SucKLEY, P. K. R. Rep. XII, ii, 1859, 192. — Hamlin, Pr. Host. Soc. N. H. 

 1864 - 66, 80. Certhia mexicana, Cuui'Eit, Orn. C'al. I, 1870, 58. 



Sp. Char. Bill about the length of tlie head. Above dark brown, with a .slightly 

 rufous shade, each feather streaked centrally, but not abruptly, with whitish; rump rusty. 

 Beneath almost silky-white ; the under tail-coverts with a faint rusty tinge. A white 

 streak over the eye ; the ear-coverts streaked with whitish. Tail-leathers brown cen- 

 trally, the edges paler yellowish-brown. Wings with a transverse bar of jiale reddish- 

 white across both webs. Length, .J..50 ; wing, 2.60 ; tail, 2.90. (No. 827.) 



Yo7ing. (.'J945, Steilacoom, W. T. ; Dr. J. S. Cooper.) Resembling the adult, but 

 streaks above indistinct, and the 'feathers there tipiied indistinctly with blackish ; the 

 rulbus restricted to the upper tail-coverts. Breast and jiigulum with very minute blackish 

 wavings or indistinct bars. 



Hab. Whole of United States, to Red River Settlement, 



Specimens from the far west are purer white beneath, much tis in coslw, 

 but those from the northwest coast have the wliite tinged with light rusty. 

 Though purer white below, these specimens are much browner above than 

 Eastern ones, — sometimes more so than in familiaris, but then there is 

 the yellowish crissum never seen in this " species," and the proiiortions are 

 quite different. Thus it will be seen the C. amcricana may always be dis- 



