124 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES 



barred with pale brown ; the bill, legs and eyes are brown. 

 In the young birds the bill is shorter and less curved. Length, 

 5 ins. Wing, 2'5 ins. Tarsus, "65 in. 



Wall Creeper. Tichodrovia nmraria (Linn.). 



There are only five records of the occurrence of the Wall- 

 Creeper in England — it has been noted in Norfolk, Lancashire 

 and Sussex — and it is such a striking bird in its slate-grey 

 plumage, with crimson on the wing-coverts and a crimson band 

 across the wings, and white spots on its black wings and tail, 

 that it cannot frequently have been overlooked. It inhabits 

 alpine areas in central and southern Europe, and has been 

 noted as a wanderer from time to time in other parts, including 

 France and Germany. It climbs walls as well as rocks, and 

 the Lancashire example was noticed flying round a mill 

 chimney, the crimson bands attracting the attention of the mill- 

 hands. Length, 6'2 ins. Wing, y<^ ins. Tarsus, '9 in. 



Family SITTID^. Nuthatches. 

 Nuthatch. Sitta ccesia Wolf. 



Systematists disagree about the name and relationship of the 

 British Nuthatch, which is a sedentary resident. It is nearly 

 related to the central and southern European bird, though 

 slightly darker, and a similar form is met with in south-western 

 Asia. The Scandinavian S. etiropea Linn, is brighter on the 

 back and white underneath. Hartert called our bird vS". eiiropea 

 britannica. In Britain the bird is common in the south, and 

 but rarely if ever breeds north of Yorkshire and Cheshire, 

 though it has occurred in Scotland as a wanderer. 



Old timber, especially in open park land, is the haunt of the 

 Nuthatch (Plate 49), and it climbs the boles with the same 



