172 BRITISH BIRDS WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



nostrils, the crown of the head never crested, the tail-feathers stiff and pointed 

 like those of the Woodpeckers, which they also much resemble in their habits : 

 they are distinctly more insectivoroiis than Tits ; and, in their search for food, are 

 more strictly arboreal in their habits, confining their attentions chiefly to the trunks 

 and larger branches of trees, round which they run in a spiral curve. 



Our Tree-Creeper, even in its nidification cannot strictly be said to resemble 

 the Tits : certainly I never discovered true Titmice building their nests behind 

 loosened bark : indeed Seebohm himself admits that " their nests are all either 

 loosely made in holes of trees and walls, or suspended from the branches." Dr. 

 Gadow, however, says that the Ccrtlriida nest in holes ; but, even admitting this, the 

 nidification of the Creepers does not prove their affinity to the Tits, any more than 

 that of the Woodpeckers evidences their relationship to the Parrots. 



Family CE 



THE TREE-CREEPER. 



Certhia familiaris, LINN. 



RESPECTING the geographical distribution of this species Dr. Gadow says 

 that " it inhabits nearly all the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions. It is 

 found from Ireland and Spain to Norway, Palestine, Persia, Eastern Turkestan, 

 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 predominant, and all the underparts, including 

 the under tail-coverts, become pure white. We may 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. Costcej in Mr. Dresser's collection 

 which are nearly as pale as the eastern birds. The Tree- Creepers in Canada, and 



