COMMON CREEPER. 193 



In East Lothian and Fifeshire it has several times occurred, 

 and also in Dumfriesshire and Roxburghshire. I got a beautiful 

 specimen at Dunbar in 1847. Regarding its occurrence in 

 Aberdeenshire, Mr Angus writes : " I received a male specimen of 

 this rare visitor from the neighbourhood of Birse, in July, 1864. 

 Mr Wilson informs me that it has been observed at the Braes of 

 Gight." The most northern locality for its occurrence in the 

 mainland of Scotland is Sutherlandshire ; but, as a rule, it is not 

 found north of the Forth. 



In Mr Dunn's copy of Messrs Baikie and Heddle's Fauna of 

 Orkney, a manuscript note states that one was got at Melsetter 

 in 1841, and that in one instance it had been seen before. 



INSESSORES. CERT ff IAD JE. 



SCANSOS. 



THE COMMON CREEPER. 



CERTHIA FAMILIAR1S. 

 Snaigear. Meanglan. Streapach. 



THIS familiar, yet unobtrusive bird the lark speeler, as it is called 

 in North Britain is found in limited numbers throughout all the 

 western counties, but is wholly absent from the Outer Hebrides. 

 Nor have I been able to trace it satisfactorily, even as a visitant, 

 to any of the inner islands. It is, however, occasionally found in 

 Orkney. It is very common in woods near Glasgow, and I have 

 frequently seen it in the outskirts of the city in clumps of smoked 

 fir trees the melancholy remains of woods that have yielded to 

 the invasions of house-building. In the little plantations skirting 

 the public roads in many parts of Renfrewshire I usually find the 

 Creeper in the winter season when the want of foliage betrays the 

 presence of so many of our smaller birds. It is constantly climb- 

 ing, and, one would think, never at rest. Frequently it is found 

 in company with tits of various species and gold-crests, but only 

 as a fellow insect hunter, as it is always too busy to be classed as 

 a companion. Mouse-like, it scrambles up the trunk or under- 

 side of a branch with amusing activity ; and after having examined 

 one tree it immediately flies to another, beginning invariably at the 

 base, a few inches above the ground, and ascending spirally till it 

 reaches the top. 



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