a very peculiar butterfly-like flight to the lower end of
another crevice in the rock. I never saw one of them
progress head downwards or sideways, and the only
sound that I heard from them was a rapidly repeated
single note somewhat resembling that of the Wryneck.
In the winter months the Wall-Creeper may often be
met with on old buildings and in gorges near the sea in
Southern France and along the Italian Riviera; I have
known of its occurrence at that season within a very
short distance of Toulon, in the towns of Nice, Mentone,
Albenga, and Genoa. I once had the offer of one of
these birds alive from a London dealer, but, as the price
was excessive and the bird in Switzerland, I declined to
run the risk. With regard to the occurrence of this
species in England, I consider that the chances of
escape from captivity are in these instances so infinitesimal
that the bird is fairly entitled to rank in our
British list.
