48 WALL CREEPER. 



of an underlayer of soft dry stalks, mixed with moss, hair, soft 

 feathers, and wool, and is lined with animals' hair. It lays from 

 three to five eggs in June, which are either pear-shaped or more 

 generally oval. The shell is slightly shining white, with small red or 

 flesh-coloured spots and dots, which are most numerous at the larger 

 end. They are about the same size as those of the Wryneck. 



I copy the following interesting account of this bird in confinement 

 from the article by Victor Fatio, in the "Bulletin de la Society 

 Ornithologique Suisse," tome premier, 1865, p. 126, being a summary 

 of the experiences of M. Girtanner: — "The spring moulting of one 

 of these birds kept in a cage by M. Girtanner took place between 

 the beginning and end of March, and the autumn was a little later 

 than that of the bird in the wild state, which takes place between 

 the end of July and the middle of September. 



"The young birds, which soon quit the nest, may be recognized 

 in summer by a reddish tint which overspreads the grey on the top 

 of the head, and the throat, which is quite grey; but in September 

 they take the white throat like the adult. The round spots, white or 

 yellow, found on the remiges, have no characteristic value as to the 

 distinction of ages and sexes, for they are always and everywhere 

 variable in number and disposition. One thing only seems certain, 

 viz.: that all individuals possess white spots from the second to the 

 sixth remige, and at least some traces of yellow spots from the sixth 

 to the fifteenth. The black extends in the spring upon the throat 

 from the centre to the periphery, and the white reappears on the 

 contrary in autumn vice versa. 



"The Tichodrome, which only in Europe inhabits temperate or 

 southern climates, rises in summer to the height of ten thousand feet 

 in our Alps, to redescend sometimes to our lowest valleys during 

 the severity of winter. Early in the evening it seeks for the hole 

 which must lead to its shelter for the night, but it only approaches 

 it with great circumspection, and taking many precautions that no 

 one shall see it enter. Once hidden, it generally settles itself 

 flat upon its belly, and remains thus till very late next morning. It 

 seems to wait till the sun has perfectly dried the damp surface of 

 the rock in fear of dirtying its tail, which it keeps from touching 

 the rocks as much as possible, or its wings, which perhaps, when 

 wet, would not be a sufficient help to its feet. All the Alpine 

 world has long been awake and in full activity when the Tichodrome 

 issues from its retreat, and after the manner of a Nuthatch, without 

 stopping, hovers over the bare sides of the rocks. It prefers climbing 

 the vertical rocks, and with a continual beating of its wings, and 



