1 9 2 SITTA CERTHIA 



Hal. Dalmatia and Greece, ranging east through Asia Minor 

 to northern Persia. 



Although to a casual observer this species somewhat resembles 

 S. europcca, it differs widely in its habits, for it frequents barren 

 rocks, and is not found on trees. Its food consists chiefly of 

 insects of various kinds and their larvse Its note is said to be 

 very loud, and to differ considerably from that of Sitta ccesia. 

 It breeds in the rocks, selecting a suitable recess, in front of 

 which it builds a covering of mud, having a funnel-shaped 

 entrance. The inside is well lined with goats' hair, thistle- 

 down, fec., and the eggs, from 6 to 10 in number, are deposited 

 late in April, and are white, with large red spots and blotches 

 scattered over the surface. They are larger and stouter than 

 those of S. ccesia and S. europcea, and measure about 0'S4 

 by 0-64. 



286. SUBSP. SITTA SYRIACA. 



Sitla syriaca, Ehr. in Temm. Man d ; 0ru. iii. p. 286 (1835) ; Gadow, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mns. viii. p. 346 ; Dresser, ix. p. 137 ; S. tephronota, 

 Sharpe, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1872, x. p. 450. 



<$ ad. (Kokand). Differs from Sitta neumayeri in being larger in size, 

 the upper parts paler, the throat and sides of the neck white with a creamy 

 tinge, and the black stripe along the sides of the head is rather broader and 

 extends further down the neck. Culmen, 1*02, wing 3'4, tail 2-3, tarsus 

 1*05 inch. Sexes alike. 



Hob. Transcaspia, Persia, Afghanistan, and Turkestan. 



Is merely a large pale race of Sitta neumayeri, and does not 

 differ in habits or nidification from that species. 



CERTHIA, Linn., 1766. 



287. TREE-CREEPER. 



CERTHIA FAMILIARIS. 



Certhia fanuliaris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 184 (1766) ; Naum. v. p. 398, 

 Taf. 140 ; Hewitson, i. p. 243, pi. Ixii. fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. 

 pi. 237 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 64 ; Newton, i. p. 468 ; Dresser, 

 iii. 195, pi. 122 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 323 ; Tacz. F. 0. 

 Sib. O. p. 204 ; Saunders, p. 117 ; Lilford, ii. p. 114, pi. 52. 



Grimpercau familier, French ; Trepadevia, Atrepa, Portug. ; 



Trepatroncos, Arenero, Span. ; Rampechino, Ital. ; JBcmmlaufer, 



-German; Boomkruipertje, Dutch; Trcepikker, Trcelobcr, Dan.; 



Trcekryber, Norweg. ; Trddkrypare, Swed. ; Punkiipija, Finn. ; 



1'ishcliuka Sverchok, Russ. ; Kibashiri, Jap. 



