PARING. 91 



neger has described a third, to which he has given the name of 

 Troglodytes fumigatus kurilensis (Stejneger, Proc. United States Nat, 

 Mus. 1888, p. 548), a name which I had akeady given it in manu- 

 script. 



58. CERTHIA PAMILIARIS. 



(COMMON CREEPER.) 



Typical Form. 

 Certhia familiaris, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 184 (1766). 



Abctic Fobm. 

 Certhia scandulaca, Pallas, Zoogr. Eosso-Asiat. i. p. 432 (1826). 



The Creeper has a curved bill like a Hoopoe, and stiflf pointed tail- 

 feathers like a Woodpecker. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, iii. pi. 122 (typical form). 



The Creeper is common in the woods and plantations near Hako- 

 dadi (Whitely, Ibis, 1862, p. 196), and appears to be a resident on 

 the Kuriles, as well as in the other Japanese Islands. I have an 

 example collected by Mr. Snow on the Kurile Islands, and there is 

 an example in the Swinhoe collection obtained by Captain Blakiston 

 at Hakodadi in February (Swinhoe, Ibis, 1874, p. 152). I have also 

 two examples collected by Mr. Henson at Hakodadi on the 13th of 

 April, and there is an example in the Pryer collection from Yoko- 

 hama. 



The Common Creeper is one of those unsatisfactory birds that seem 

 to vary with every variation of climate ; so that the ornithologist is 

 obliged either to become a " lumper " of the old school of binomia- 

 lists, and confuse all the races together under the name of Certhia 

 familiaris, or to become a " splitter " of the new school of trinomia- 

 lists, and give to each geographical race a third name, until he has 

 made so many that he is frightened at the ever-increasing number. 



Examples from Central Siberia are so much whiter than the typical 

 European form that it is impossible not to allow Certhia familiaris 

 scandulaca subspecific rank. 



Examples from Yokohama agree very closely with those from 

 North China, Kansu, the Chuan-Che mountains, and Asia Minor. 

 They are too white to be regarded as belonging to the typical form, 

 but they are not white enough to belong to the Arctic race. 

 Examples from the Kurile Islands and from Yezzo are quite as 



