CERTHIAD JE — THE CREEPEES. 125 



C. familiaris is more ashy beneath than any otliers, and C. costm is ])urest 

 Avhite beneath of all. Nearest C. familiaris, in the American series, as regards 

 tints of the upper parts, are the Pacific coast specimens of C. ayacrieana, — 

 while the latter are most like the Atlantic region specimens of the same. 

 C. mexiiMna is to be compared only with the North American forms, though 

 it is the only one approaching /ffv/ii'/mris- in the ashy lower parts. 



C. familiaris is at once separated from the rest by having the tail shorter 

 than the wing. 



C. casta) is almost precisely like Eastern specimens of C. amcricana in 

 colors, but is absolutely pure white below, and without the distinctly yellow- 

 ish crissuni of the American bird. The bill and claws, however, are consid- 

 erably longer than in Eastern americana, though their size is almost equalled 

 by those of Western specimens ; the colors are, however, more decidedly 

 different. 



There is never any deviation from the generic pattern of coloration ; but 

 the variation, amonij iiidivid nals of each form, in length of the bill and claws, 

 as well as the tail, is remarkable. 



Certhia familiaris, var. americana, Bonap. 



BROWN CREEPER. 



Certhia fusca, Barton, FragmRiits of the Natural History of Pennsylvania, 1799, 11. Cer- 

 thia familiaris, ViEiLL. Ois. Ain. Sept. II, 1807, 70 (not the European bird) ; also of 

 Wilson and Audubon. — Maynakd, Birds E. Mass. 1870, 9:3. Certhia americana, 

 Bonap. Comp. List. 1838. — Reich. Handb. I, 1853, 265, pi. dcxv, figs. 4102, 4103. 

 — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 372; Review, 89. — Max. Cab. Jour. 1858, 105.— 

 Cooper & SucKLEY, P. R. R. Rep. XII, ii, 1859, 192. — Hamlin, Pr. Best. Soc. N. H. 

 1864 -6G, 80. Certhia mcjeicana, Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 58. 



Sp. Char. Bill about the length of tlie head. Above dark brown, Avith a slightly 

 rufous shade, each featlier streaked centrally, but not abruptly, with whitish; rump rusty. 

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

 streak over the eye ; the ear-coverts streaked with whitish. Tail-feathers brown cen- 

 trally, the edges paler yellowish-brown. Wings with a transverse bar of pale reddish- 

 white across both webs. Length, 5.50 ; wing, 2.60 ; tail, 2.90. (No. 827.) 



Young. (5945, Steilacoom, W. T. ; Dr. J. S. Cooper.) Resembling the adult, but 

 streaks above indistinct, and the feathers there tipped indistinctly with blackish ; the 

 rufous restricted to the upper tail-coverts. Breast and juguluni with very minute blackish 

 wavings or indistinct bars. 



Hab. Whole of United States, to Red River Settlement. 



Specimens from the far west are purer white beneath, much as in costcv, 

 but those from the nmihwest coast have the white tinged with liglit rusty. 

 Though purer white belo^^^, these specimens are much browner aboAC than 

 Eastern ones, — sometimes more so tlian in familiaris, but then there is 

 the yellowish crissum never seen in this " species," and the proportions are 

 (piite different. Thus it will be seen the C. amcricana may always be dis- 



