31 



CERTHIA. TREE-CREEPER. 



Bill rather long, very slender, subtrigonal, tapering, much 

 compressed, arcuate, acute : upper mandible with its dorsal 

 outline arcuate, the ridge very narrow, the sides rapidly sloping, 

 the edges sharp, without notch ; lower mandible with the 

 angle very narrow and sharp, the dorsal outline decurved, the 

 ridge narrow, the sides erect, the edges sharp, the tip acute ; 

 the gape -line arcuate. 



The upper mandible concave beneath, with a central promi- 

 nent line ; the lower deeply channelled. The tongue long, 

 narrow, decurved, sagittate, tapering, its margins lacerate 

 toward the tip, which is acute ; oesophagus of moderate width ; 

 stomach elliptical, muscular ; intestine very short, of moderate 

 width ; coeca very small. Plate XIV, Fig. 2. 



Nostrils linear-oblong, exposed, with an oblong operculum ; 

 the nasal depression of moderate size, feathered at the base. 

 Eyes of moderate size ; eyelids feathered. External aperture 

 of the ear large and roundish. 



The general form is slender, although the body is very short, 

 the wings and tail being elongated ; the neck short ; the head 

 ovato-oblong and of moderate size; the feet of ordinary length, the 

 tarsus slender, compressed, anteriorly covered with seven broad 

 scutella, of which the upper are indistinct, posteriorly edged ; 

 toes rather large, extremely compressed ; first very large, being 

 with its claw longer than the third, the second much shorter 

 than the fourth, the anterior united as far as the second joint ; 

 claws very long, arched, slender, extremely compressed, later- 

 ally grooved, very acute. 



Plumage very soft, blended, and elongated, especially on the 

 back ; the feathers ovato-oblong, with very loose barbs, and a 

 long slender plumule of few filaments. Wing rather long, con- 

 vex, much rounded ; of nineteen quills ; the first nearly half 



