200 
6 
hole in a tree. ‘The nest is usually rather compressed and deep, the eggs being well and care- 
fully placed rather deep down in the inside cup, which is peculiarly shaped, being longer one 
way than the other, from the position in which it is constructed, which is usually a very narrow 
one. ‘The eggs are placed in two rows of three, thus adapting themselves best to the shape of 
the nest. ‘The nest itself is constructed of fine straws, and is carefully lined with feathers. I 
have, however, a nest from Norway which is constructed of narrow strips of the fine paper-like 
bark of the birch tree, and sparingly lined with feathers. The bird is exceedingly shy during 
the time of incubation, and leaves its eggs so soon as any one approaches within twenty or thirty 
paces of its nest; but otherwise the female incubates very assiduously, being fed by the male 
during the season of incubation. During the pairing-season the male utters a song, which is, 
Professor Newton says, “loud and pleasing, though not often heard, and pitched in a high, 
shrill key.” 
The food of the Creeper consists of small insects and their eggs and larvee, which it picks 
out of the interstices of the bark; and it is said to occasionally vary its diet with the seeds of 
the Scotch fir. 
I have a large series of the eggs of the present species, from England, Germany, and Norway, 
all of which are white in colour, spotted and blotched with reddish brown, a few smaller red 
dots being interspersed; and in most of these specimens the markings are collected towards the 
larger end. In size they vary from 2¢ by 43 to 38 by 4 inch. The number of eggs deposited 
varies from six to nine. 
After a most careful examination of a series of specimens from various localities, f have found 
it necessary to unite with the common Creeper several species which have been described as 
distinet, as I cannot find any distinctive character which holds good. ‘That there is a tendency 
to branch off into climatic races is undoubtedly the case, as the South-Kuropean and South-east 
Asiatic examples are all paler than the general run of northern specimens; but I have examined 
light-coloured birds (undistinguishable from those obtained in the south) from Northern Europe; 
and some of the southern birds are much darker than others, being almost as dark as the average 
northern birds. This southern variety has been described as Certhia coste. ‘The palest speci- 
mens I have examined are those from the Amoor and Japan, the latter being, however, the 
darker of the two. Those from Turkey, collected by Mr. Robson, differ the most inter se, as 
one is even darker than the dark-coloured northern examples, has the rump reddish yellow, and 
has an unusually long bill; whereas the others are light-coloured, one being quite as pale as the 
Japanese birds, and almost as bleached on the upper parts as the pale Amoor specimen. Two 
specimens from Cashmere, belonging to the variety named by Mr. Brooks Certhia hodgsoni, 
appear at the first glance somewhat different; but a critical comparison with a series shows at 
once that they cannot possibly be separated from our European bird. Mr. Brooks claims as 
specific distinctions :—Ist, the much longer bill, which cannot for a moment be considered of 
any specific value, as the bills of specimens from all localities vary extremely, as will be seen 
from the table of measurements given below; 2ndly, that the upper parts are not so rufous in 
tone; and, 3rdly, that the spots on the head are very white, and the brown on the upper surface 
is almost black. To these latter I may reply that I have specimens from various parts of 
Europe which are absolutely identical in tone of colour with these Cashmere birds. He further 
