few small dark-coloured feathers. The Creeper is, an early
breeder, laying from seven to nine, eggs in the month of
A p ril: the eggs measure eight lines in length, and five lines
and a half in breadth: they are white, with a few pale red
spots, often confined-to the large end only. The notes of
the Creeper are pleasing, and not unlike those of the Gold
Crested Regulus.
White says, “ A pair of Creepers (Cvrthia,) built at
one end of the parsonage house at Greatham, behind some
loose plaster. I t is very amusing to see them run creeping
up the walls with the agility of a mouse. They take great
delight in climbing up steep surfaces, and support themselves;
in their progress with their tails, which are long and" stiff,,
and inclined downwards.”
The Creeper is distributed generally over England, and is
not a migratory bird as has been supposed; Mr. Thompson
also sends me word that it is resident in certain localities in
Ireland. Mr. Selby says it is abundant all the year in Northumberland
; and he has seen it at Blair in Athole, and at
Dunkeld. Mr. Macgillivray says it is common about Edim?
burgh. Müller includes iti in.ihis birds;'bf Denmark ; and
M. Nilsson says it is not uncommon in Sweden. It is rare
in Russia and Siberia; but is cómmori from Germany-to Italy.
According to the concurring testimony-öf Wilson, C,' L.
Bonaparte, Sir William Jardine, Audubon, Nut tall, and
others, our Creeper is found throughout the Unitëd States of
North America, where it is called: the Brown Creeper; but
as this bird was not met with by Dr. Richardson, it is probat
ble that it does not extend its range so far north as the Fur
Countries.
The beak of this "species is about as.long as the head,
curved downwards, slendér, and pointed ; the upper mandible
dark brown, the lower .’one pale brownish white | the irides
hazel; over the eye a light-coloured streak; upper part of the
head dark brown, the centre of each* feather being pale wood
brown ; back dark brown, streaked with light greyish brown ;
rump reddish tawny; wing-feathers brown; wing-coverts
tipped with dull white; primaries barred with pale brown
and greyish black; tertials with a dark central stripe, and
tipped with greyish white; tail-feathers reddish brown, stiff,
, pointed, and slight] J^bent downwards; chin, throat, breast,
and belly, white; but generally bearing the appearance of
being soiled by contact with the exposed surface over which
the bird had climbed ; all the plumage thick, soft, and silky ;
legs, toes, and claws, light brown.
The whole length of the bird rather, more than five inches.
From the carpal joint „to the-end of the wing, two inches and
three-eighths.: the first feather very sho rt; the second nearly
half an inch shorter than the th ird ; - the third, fourth, fifth,
and sixth,' nearly equal in length, but the.fourth rather the
longest feather in the wing.