CERTHIAD^E. 259 



some woodwork and the matting of a summer- 

 house. 



The Creeper is very unlike the Woodpeckers in 

 the formation of its beak, which is long, narrow and 

 considerably curved downwards; the upper man- 

 dible is dark horn-colour, the lower dull white ; the 

 irides dark hazel ; the head and back of the neck are 

 dark brown, streaked with light yellowish brown and 

 dirty white, the lightest part being a very narrow 

 streak in the centre and the tip of each feather; 

 cheeks and ear-coverts the same ; there is a small 

 light streak over the eye ; the back and scapulars 

 are yellowish brown, each feather streaked with dirty 

 white ; the lesser wing-coverts are very dark brown, 

 almost black, each feather tipped with buff; the 

 greater coverts are the same, but the tips are lighter ; 

 the rump and tail-coverts are light reddish brown; 

 the primary quills are dusky, tipped and barred on 

 the outer web with dull white ; secondaries the same, 

 but barred with a brighter colour, inclining to buff; 

 the tertials are greyish, with a light, nearly white, tip 

 to each feather and a long dusky spot on the outer 

 web ; all the under parts are a dull smoky white. 



The egg is white, spotted with orange-red, very 

 like that of some of the Tits. 



HOOPOE, Upupa epops. This is an occasional 

 summer visitant, rare indeed in this county, so much 

 so that I can find no recorded instance of its cap- 

 ture or occurrence : indeed I hardly feel justified in 



