34 



CERTHIA FAMILIARIS. 



pressed, five-twelfths of an inch long, its muscles of moderate 

 strength ; the intestine five inches long, with very small cylin- 

 drical coeca, half a twelfth in length, and a quarter of a twelfth 

 in breadth. See Plate XIV, Fig. 2. The feet are of moderate 

 length and slender ; the tarsus compressed, with seven anterior 

 scutella ; the hind toe large, with ten scutella, the second with 

 eight, the third ten, the fourth twelve ; the anterior toes parallel 

 and united as far as the second joint ; the claws very long, 

 moderately arched, extremely compressed, and very acute ; that 

 of the hind toe extending beyond the claw of the third. The 

 mobility of the toes is very extraordinary : the hind toe may be 

 turned outwards until it forms a right angle with its ordinary 

 direction, and all the other toes may be so twisted as to reverse 

 the position of the claws. Fig. 190. 



The plumage is full, very soft, and blended, on the back much 

 elongated, with the barbs separated, the feathers there being 

 an inch long, and thus greatly exceeding the diameter of the body. 

 There are no bristle-feathers at the base of the bill. The wings, 

 Fig. 191, are of moderate length, concave, with nineteen 



quills, of which the outer is scarcely half as long as the second, 

 which is four-twelfths of an inch shorter than the third ; the 

 fourth, which is the longest, exceeds the fifth only by half a 



