316 AVES. 



with their great claws. The beak is triangular and depressed at 



base, very long and very slender. 



One species only is known, which inhabits the south of Eu- 

 rope, Certhia muraria, L.; Enl. 372; Naum. 141. It is a pretty 

 bird of a light ash colour, the coverts and edges of a part 

 of the wing-quills bright red. The throat of the male is 

 black.(l) 



Nectarinia, Illig. 



Tail not worn, nor are these birds climbers, but their moderately 

 long, arcuated, pointed and compressed beak resembles that of the 

 Creepers. They are all foreign to Europe. 



The name of Guitguits is more particularly applied to cer- 

 tain small species, the males of which are ornamented with 

 lively colours. Their tongue is filamentous and bifid .(2) 



We may separate from them the largest and least beautiful 

 species, whose tongue is short and cartilaginous. 



Merops rufus, Gm.; Enl. 739; Figulus albogularis, Spix, 78. 

 A bird from South America, the size of a Kingfisher, reddish 

 above, with a whitish throat, which constructs a nest upon 

 shrubs, arched over like an oven. (3) 



Dictum, Cuv.(4) 

 The tail not worn, neither do they climbj their sharp pointed, 



(1) Certh. fusca. Lath. Vieill. 65, appears to me to belong to this subgenus. 



(2) Certh. cyanea, Enl. 83, 2; Vieill., 41, 42, 43 and Gal. 176;csemka, Edw. 

 21, Vieill., 44,45, 46, two American species, to which we must probably add 

 some from the East, most of which are red, as C. sunguinea., Vieill. 66; C. cardi- 

 nalis. Id., 54, 58; C. horhonka, Enl. 681, 2; Vieill. Gal. 167, has given to these 

 birds the name of Coeueba. 



N.B. C. armillata, Sparm. 36; C. cayana, 682, 2, &c. are mere varieties of the 

 cyanea or of the cas)-ulea. 



(3) This bird is the type of the genus Opuie or Opetiorutis'chos of Tem. ; Fur- 

 KARius, Vieill. Gal. 182. The genus Figulus, Spix, does not differ from it Add 

 the Picchion-baillon, Viell, Gal. 172; Pomatorhinos montanus, Horsf. Jav.; Po- 

 mat. turdinus, T . Col. 44:'i ; Pmn. trivirgatus, T. Col. 443; Climacieris picum- 

 nus, Tem. Col. 281, 1; Clim. scandens, lb. 2; Certhia Jlaveola, Edw. 122, 362, 

 Vieill. 51; C. varia (Mot. varia, L.),Edw. 30, 2; Vieill. 74, which is the Mnio- 

 tilk varie, Id. Gal. 169; C. semitorquata, Vieill. 56; the Promerops oUvdtre, 

 Vaill. Huppeset Prom. pi. v [Mer.olivaceus, Sh. ). Here, also, is the place, I sus- 

 pect, for the C. virens, Vieill. 57 and 58, and sannio. Id. 64, which I have not 

 seen, but which are distinguished by their slightly forked tails. 



(4) The name of a very small bird in the Indies, according to JSlian. To tliis 

 subgenus belong, Certh. erythronotos, Viell. 11, 35. The C. cruentata, Edw. 81, 

 is probably a different age of the same; C. rubra, Vieill. pi. liv, of which the C. 



