the European Certliiid^e. 



547 



looked the subtle difference. Dr. Hartert^ at any rate, 

 assures me that their notes are easily recognisable. 



AVitii regard to the several forms of C. brachydactijla, I have 

 nothing to add to Dr. Hartert's admirable account of these 

 birds (' Vijgel der palaarktischeu Fauna,' i. 1905, pp. 323- 

 326), beyond that my own collection shows that C. b. uJtra- 

 montana Hart, is found (as might be expected) right across 

 southern France fi'om Italy to Spain, its northern range 

 in the first-named country being apparently limited by the 

 Massif Central. 



But on turning to the C. familiaris group, I find that there 

 are several points that still require some elucidation. For 

 instance, a large series makes it obvious that the bird in- 

 habiting the southern Alpine districts is not the same as 

 that found in the Vosges Mountains and Germany. The 

 former is not only a slightly larger bird, but differs materially 

 in the tone of its plumage and the dimensions of its bill. 



Text-fiii. 2. 



A / 



A. Bill of typical Certhia familiaris and G.f. macrodacUjla. 



B. Bill of typical C. f. custce and C. f. pyrenaica. 



In fact, the bill (averaging 16-25 mm.) is normally quite as 

 long and as slender as in the typical C. hrachydactyla, while, 

 on the other hand, this member appears to be almost in- 

 variably sliort and comparatively stout in the Vosges and 

 German specimens (average length of bill in nine examples 

 13-5 mm., maximum about 15 mm.), in which respect they 

 approach the typical and English forms. In coloration the 

 differences in the " warm'" and "cold'' shades of the dorsal 

 plumage is analogous to that found in C. b. brackydadyla 

 and C. b. idtramontuna. The southern bird, lacking to a 



