58 SINGING BIRDS— OSCINES. 



Certhia Mexicana, Gloger. 



THE WESTERN CEEEPEE. 



" Certhia Americana, Bonapaktk." Nuttall, Man. 2d cd. I. 701 (referring to Western 

 bird). — Baikd, P. R. Rep. IX. Birds, 372 (in part). — Kenxerly, X. iv. 2G. — Heer- 

 MANN, X. vl. 42. — Cooper and Suckley, XII. iii. Zool. of W. T. 192. — Baird, Birds 

 N. Amcr. 372 ; pi. 83, f. 2. Ib. Rev. N. Amer. Birds, 89, July, 1864.— Certhia Afexi- 

 coiOT, " Gloger, Handbueh," Reichexbacii, llandbucli Spec. Orn. I. 18.51,265; pi. 

 l.xii. f. 3841, 3S42. — Si-later, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1850, 290. — Baird, P. R. Rep. IX. 

 Birds, 923. 



Sr. Cn.vR. Bill about the length of the head. Above, dark brown, with a rufous shade, 

 each feather streaked centrally, but not abruptly, with whitish ; rump brownish-orange. 

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



over the eye ; the ear oovcrts streaked with whitish. Tail feathers brown centrally, the 

 edges paler yellowish-brown. Wings with a transverse bar of pale reddish-white across 

 both webs. Length, 5.25 ; extent, 7.50 ; wing, 2.50 ; tail, 2.60. 



JIdb. North America generally. 



Cei!TIII.\ Mexicana, Gloger. '• A Mexican specimen, and one from Fort Tejon. Cali- 

 fornia, are darker than those from either coast, the rump brownish-orange, the light bars 

 on winfs narrower and less distinct. Beneath duller white, the throat similar. Bill con- 

 siderably longer. Others from the AVest Coast seem, however, to be intennediate in these 

 characters, though all hn\e a darker color and longer bill than Eastern specimens." 

 (Baird.) 



The smaller size of Oloocr's specimens would correspond with the nsnal 

 nde as to Southern lurds, and the distinction lietween the .species must rest 

 on the darker hues and lonoer hill of the "Western. 



This prettily marked hut inconspicuous little liird is found in winter 

 throughout the higher mountains and the Coast Ranges, as far south as Santa 

 Cruz, hut I have not seen it south of San Francisco in summer, though 

 douhtless living at that time in the higher Sierra Nevada. They frequent 

 chiefly the coniferous trees, creeping up and down their trunks and branches, 

 seeking insects in the crevices of the bark, and so nearly resemhle it in gen- 

 eral color tliat they are seen with difficulty when not in motion, and often 

 their shrill \\'iry notes are heard when the bird itself is scarcely visible Avith- 



