

i*-^ 



THE CllEEPEK. 



The Fourth Tribe, Texuirostres, embraces several groups of beautiful and 

 interesting birds, the greater part of which are pecidiar to the warmer regions of the 

 globe. They are all distinguished by long slender bills, and hence their name. They 

 are adapted to those parts of the earth where flowers appear in constant succession ; 

 from these they obtain their nectar, and an endless supply of the smaller insects designed 

 for their subsistence. AVe shall, therefore, proceed to trace the outline of the principal 

 families of the tentirostral birds, and point out their character by some of the most 

 prominent and interesting examples. 



The old genus Ccrfhia of Linnaeus was characterised by an arched bill, but the sjjecies 

 possessed but little else in common, and have been therefore formed into several minor 

 groups. Tlie true or restricted creci^ers (Ccrfhia, Cuv.), so called from their habit of 

 running round the trunks of trees, have the bill of medium length, curved, compressed, 

 slender, sharp-pointed. The tail is wedge-shaped, and comjMsed of stiff deflected feathers. 

 Our well-known British species (C famiJitirh) is the only example of the genus found in 

 Europe, and it is, in fact, doubtful whether there is any other elsewhere. The North 

 American creeper seems identical, but the numerous other birds described as cree-pers do 

 not belong to the genus Cerfhia. Tlic solitary type is a retired inhabitant of the woods, 

 in no way conspicuous in colour, though pleasingly mottled above witli black, brown, 

 and grayish white; and being of small size, and seldom showing itself in open places, is 

 deemed rai-er than it reallv is. 



Ccvthia Faniiliaris. 



