CERTHIA. 89 



Family CERTHIAD^.* 



CERTHIA, LiNN^us. 



Certhia, Linn^us, Sjst. Nat. ed. lOtli, 1758, 112. (Type C. familiaris.) 

 (See Reichenbach, Handbucli, I, ii, 1853, 256, for a monograph of the genus.) 



Plumage soft aud loose. Bill as long as head, not notched, compressed ; 

 all its lateral outlines decurved. Nostrils not overhung by feathers, linear, 

 with an incumbent thickened scale, as in TroylodyUs. No rictal bristles, and 

 the loral and frontal feathers smooth, without bristly shafts. TarsUs scutel- 

 late anteriorly, shorter than middle toe, which again is shorter than hind toe. 

 All claws very long, much curved and compressed ; outer lateral toe much the 

 longer; basal joint of middle toe entirely adherent to adjacent ones. Wings 

 rather pointed, about equal to the tail, the feathers of which are much pointed 

 with stiflfened shafts. Primaries ten ; 1st less than half the 2d. 



Of the Certhiadse but one genus belongs to America — Certhia, 

 with its two recognized species. The characters above given include 

 both family and generic characters, derived from this one genus. 

 This is readily distinguished by the decurved, compressed bill ; 

 absence of notch and bristles ; exposed linear nostrils with incum- 

 bent scales ; connate middle toe, very long claws, short tarsi, pointed 

 and stiifened tail feathers, etc. 



Certhia americana. 



Certhia familiaris, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. II, 1807, 70 (not the European 



bird?) ; also of Wilson and Audubon. 

 Certhia aviericana, Bonap. Comp. List, 1838. — Reich. Handb. I, 1853, 



265, pi. dcxv, figs. 4,102-3.— Baikd, Birds N, Am. 1858, 372.— Max. 



Cab. Jour. 1858, 105.— Cooper & Suckley, P. R. R. Rep. XII, ir, 



1859, 192.— ScLATER, Catal. 1861, 15, no. 94. 



With much additional material to that used in preparing the article 

 on this species in the Birds N. Am., I find it still difficult to make 

 the specimens from western America different from eastern. The 

 bill is perhaps longer on an average, although single eastern speci- 

 mens may be found exhibiting the maximum condition in this respect. 

 The white of under parts appears purer, the light line over the eye 



' See Reichenbach, Handbuch der Orn. I, ii, 1853. 



