CERTHIID.B. 



IT9 



ri.l'^^'- f 



THE WALL-CREEPER. 



TiCHODROMA MURARiA (Liniijeus). 



This inhabitant of the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia 

 is a very unusual wanderer to England. The first authenticated 

 instance was furnished by the late Thomas Bell, who published 

 (Zool. s.s. p. 4664, and Tr. Norfolk and Norw. Nat. Soc. ii. p. 180) 

 a letter from Robert Marsham of Stratton-Strawless, Norfolk, to 

 Gilbert White of Selborne, dated October 30th 1792, containing an 

 accurate description of a Wall-Creeper which had just been shot 

 v-'hilst flying about his house. Eighty years later Mr. F. S. Mitchell 

 stated (Zool. s.s. p. 4839) that one, then in his possession, was shot 

 on May 8th 1872, at Sabden, at the foot of Pendle Hill, in 

 Lancashire, when flying around a tall chimney, and attracting the 

 attention of the mill-hands by its crimson-banded wings. Mr. 

 W. R. Butterfield recorded (Zool. 1896, p. 302) the occurrence of an 

 adult in breeding-plumage some years ago near Winchelsea, Sussex. 



