26 CERTHIID^ CERTHIA FAMILIARIS. 



This species, which was not noticed by either expedition, extends to 

 the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, where it was found, in 

 Montana, by Dr. Cooper. Mr. Allen took it in tlie mountains of Colo- 

 rado up to 8,000 feet ; Mr. Aiken, in the Black Hills. Prof. Sumichrast 

 states that it is resident in the alpine region of Vera Cruz, ascending to 

 the very limit of vegetation on the peaks of Orizaba and Popocatepetl. 

 On the Pacilic coast it descends, according to ])r. Cooper, as low as 

 Monterey. It is an abundant species in all suitable pLices throughout 

 its range, an almost exclusive inhabitant of forests, giving evident 

 preference to those of conifers. In crossing the main chain of the Sierra 

 Madre, at Whipple's Pass, in July, I found it abundant to the summit, 

 in high pine woods ; and in the same situations in Upper Arizona it oc- 

 curs in profusion, and resides permanently. Like the Brown-headed 

 Nuthatch, it is a sociable — almost gregarious — little creature, assembling 

 in noisy restless troops, actively fluttering among the pines and scramb- 

 ling about their trunks and branches, picking its minute insect prey out of 

 the cracks in the bark. It has a variety of odd, scraping notes, impossible 

 to describe, and makes as much ado about its puny little business as if 

 it were helping the world roll on — as, on second thought, I suppose it does. 

 The mode of niditication is the same as that of other species ; the eggs 

 are five or six in number, pinkish-white, dotted with reddish. They would 

 not be distinguishable with certainty from those of S. canaderms, but 

 appear to average rather narrower, measuring about 0.G2 by 0.48. The 

 young appear first in June ; and from the circumstance of finding newly- 

 feathered birds much later in the summer, I presume at least two broods 

 are reared each season. 



Communicating with me respecting this species, Mr. Allen observes : 

 "I found it at frequent intervals in our journey from Denver to South 

 Park, usually in quite large parties, associated with Titmice and King- 

 lets, the whole party keeping up a lively twitter as they [)assed from tree 

 to tree. It is indistinguishable in notes or habits from its near relation, 

 the Brown-headed Nuthatch of the Southern States. They both hunt 

 the branches of the trees rather than their trunks, often flitting, like 

 Kinglets, about the outer extremities of the branches in their search for 

 insects, thus more resembling both the Kinglets and the Tomtits in their 

 manner of hunting than our common Nuthatches." 



In this species the color of the under parts is as variable as that of 

 S. canadensis, ranging from fulvous-whitish to rusty-brown. The char- 

 acters supposed to distinguish it from pusilla are very slight, so that it 

 is quite possible Mr. Allen is right in holding it for a variety of the 

 latter. 



Tamily CEETHIID^ : Creepers. 



CERTHIA FxlMlLIARIS, Linn. 



Brown Creeper. 



Certhia famUiaris, Ltnn., and of awtbor,s. — Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. il, 1807, 70. — Wlls., 

 Am. Orn. i, 1808, 122, pi. 7.— AuD., Oru. Biog. v, 1839, 158, pi. 415.— AUD., B. 

 Am. ii, 1841, 109, pi. 11."). — Mayn., Pr. Bost. Soc. xiv, 1871 (New Eugluud, 

 bieediug south to Massachusetts). — CoUES, Key, 1872, 84, f. 28. 



Certhia umciicaiia, Bp., Comp. and Geog. List, 1838.— NuTT., Man. i, 1840, 701. — Bd.. B. 

 N. A. 1858. 372, pi. 83, f. 2; Rev. 1864, 89.— Maxim., J. f. O. 1858, 105.— Kexx., 

 P. R. R. Rep. X, 1859, pt. iv, 26.— Heerm., ibid. pt. vi, 42.— Coop. & Suck., 

 N. H. Wash. Ter. 18.")9, 192.— Scl., Cat. A. B. 1861, 15.— Sxow, B. Kaus. 

 1873, f). — Also of nearly all local writers of Eastern United States. 



