1. CEKTHIA. 325 



ciliary region whitish ; all the underparts, including the under wing- 

 coverts, silky white, suffused with buff on the flanks and under tail- 

 coverts ; bill dark horn-brown, mandible [)ale ; legs light brown, 

 claws still paler ; iris brown. Total length about 4-75 inches. 

 The sexes are alike in plumage. 



KestUtif/s and birds of the year are much like the old birds ; the 

 flanks and sides tinged with pale creamy white ; many of the 

 feathers with faint darkish tips, which give these parts and the 

 throat a somewhat barred appearance, 

 ileasurements : — 



Culmen. Wing. Tail. Tarsus, 



in. in. in. in. 



S ad. France 07 2-55 2-50 06o 



S ad. Surrey 0-65 2-50 2-20 0-60 



$ ad. Cookham 0-68 2-50 2-45 0-68 



d ad. Hakodadi 0-66 2-40 2-40 060 



J ad. Hakodadi 066 2-50 2-65 060 



c? ad. West-Ilocky Mts. 0-60 2-48 2-30 0-56 



This table shows that in the Common Creeper the tail is of nearly 

 the same length as the wing, and may even be shorter than the latter. 

 The central pair of feathers does not project far beyond the rest. 



Hah. The Common Tree-Creeper has a verj- extensive range, as it 

 inhabits nearly all the Palsearctic and Nearctic regions. It is found 

 from Ireland and Spain to NorlVay, Palestine, Persia, Eastern Turke- 

 stan, and Western China, being likewise found throughout Russia and 

 the greater part of Siberia. Still more to the eastwards it gradually 

 loses much of the dark colours, so that the white becomes predomi- 

 nant and all the underparts, including the under tail-coverts, be- 

 come pure white. We maj" therefore look upon the birds of Amoor- 

 land, Eastern Siberia, and Japan as a pale race. I have, however, 

 seen specimens from Piedmont and South France (C. costce) in Mr. 

 Dresser's collection which are nearly as pale as the eastern birds. 



The Tree-Crcepers in Canada, and in the United States eastward 

 of the llocky Mountains, are like our European form. In the Pacific 

 States and in Texas they gradually become darker and more richly 

 coloured, thus leading to the Central-American form C. memcana. 



a. C. familiaris. 



a-f. [ c? 2 ] ad. St. Cambridgeshire. Mr. Baker [P.]. 



g-n. S $ ad., and 5 England. Lord Walsingham [P.]. 



nestlings, group st. 

 o,p. (5" $ ad. sk. Cookham, March. R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



q, r. Ad. sk. Avington, Nov. 25, 1872. E. Shelley, Esq. [P.]. 



.>t. Ad. sk. Hampstead. Goidd Collection. 



t. Juv. sk. Berkshire, June 20, 1866. Gould Collection. 



tt, V. cS ad. sk. Surrey, Jan. 1857. F. I). Godman and 0. 



Salvin, Esqrs. [P.l. 

 w. c? ad. sk. Middlesex, Mar. 20, 1856. F. D. Godman and 0. 



Salvin, Esqrs. [P.]. 

 X. Ad. sk. Xorwav, July 1866. F. D. Godman and O. 



Salvin, Esqrs. [P.]. 

 ;/. Pull. sk. Belgium, June 25, 1872. Brussels Museum [P.]. 



;. Ad. sk. Belgium, Dec. 13, 1870. Brussels Museum [P.]. 



