160 CERTHIAD.E. 



few small dark-coloured feathers. The Creeper is an early 

 breeder, laying from seven to nine eggs in the month of 

 April : the eggs measure eight lines in length, and five lines 

 and a half in breadth : they are white, with a few pale red 

 spots, often confined to the large end only. The notes of 

 the Creeper are pleasing, and not unlike those of the Gold 

 Crested Regulus. 



White says, "A pair of Creepers (Certhia) built at 

 one end of the parsonage house at Greatham, behind some 

 loose plaster. It is very amusing to see them run creeping 

 up the walls with the agility of a mouse. They take great 

 delight in climbing up steep surfaces, and support themselves 

 in their progress with their tails, which are long and stiiF, 

 and inclined downwards." 



The Creeper is distributed generally over England, and is 

 not a migratory bird as has been supposed ; Mr. Thompson 

 also sends me word that it is resident in certain localities in 

 Ireland. Mr. Selby says it is abundant all the year in Nor- 

 thumberland ; and he has seen it at Blair in Athole, and at 

 Dunkeld. Mr. Macgillivray says it is common about Edin- 

 burgh. Miiller includes it in his birds of Denmark ; and 

 M. Nilsson says it is not uncommon in Sweden. It is rare 

 in Russia and Siberia ; but is common from Germany to Italy. 



According to the concurring testimony of Wilson, C. L. 

 Bonaparte, Sir William Jardine, Audubon, Nuttall, and 

 others, our Creeper is found throughout the United States of 

 North America, where it is called the Brown Creeper ; but 

 as this bird was not met with by Dr. Richardson, it is proba- 

 ble that it does not extend its range so far north as the Fur 

 Countries. 



The beak of this species is about as long as the head, 

 curved downwards, slender, and pointed ; the upper mandible 

 dark brown, the lower one pale brownish white : the irides 

 hazel ; over the eye a light-coloured streak ; upper part of the 



