THE BRITISH TREE-CREEPER. 



215 



mantle and scapulars paler, more rllfous-bro^^^l and rather more 

 uniform, pale streaks not so distinct, and only edges of the feathers 

 dark bro^vn ; lower back and rump bright rufous, almost uniform. 



The British Tree-Oreeper (Certhia f.brittanica). 



but each feather Avith faint pale central streak and the concealed 

 portion "with a Avhitish patch between the rufous distal, and black 

 proximal portions ; U2:)per tail-coverts uniform pale bro\vn tinged 

 rufous ; lores blackish ; superciliarj^ stripe white tinged rufous ; 

 ear-coverts mottled whitish, rufous and black ; chin, throat, breast, 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries silvery- white ; flanks, belly and 

 under tail-coverts washed pale buff (under-parts are usually some- 

 what dirty and sometimes quite sootj', probably by contact with 

 dirty trees, etc.) ; tail-feathers pale bro"\Aai with shafts j^ale but 

 central portions alongside shafts darker broMii ; primaries dark 

 broMii, three outermost imiform but rest and secondaries with a 

 broad buff band across their centres margined above and below 

 •with blackish, outer webs towards tips duller buff a,nd tips whitish, 

 innermost secondaries without buff transverse band ; bastard- 

 wing and primarj'^-coverts black with pale buff tips and bases ; 

 greater coverts same but with broad rufous-brown fringes to outer 

 webs ; median coverts browii-black with rufous-buff tips ; lesser 

 coverts pale browii with paler tips. This plumage is acquired by 

 complete moult in Aug.- Oct. Summer. No moult and abrasion 

 has no noticeable effec.t. (N.B. — The feathers, especially of rump, 

 are of loose structure.) 



Nestling. — Down, greyish-black, long and plentiful ; distribu- 

 tion, inner supra-orbital and occipital. ]\louth, inside yellow, no 

 spots ; externally flanges yellowish -A\hite. 



Juvenile. — Like adult, but ui^i^er-parts less rufous and with 

 larger pale buff centres to the feathers, giving more spotted appear- 

 ance ; rump pale rufous-broAvn not bright riffous ; under-parts 

 dull white (not silvery), throat, breast and flanks with minute 

 brown freckles ; belly and under tail-coverts pale buff. 



