CERTHINiE. 379 



The family of Creepers comprises a great variety of birds, 

 which differ considerably from the more typical Tenuirostral 

 birds, and approach in their habits some of the Scansorial tribe. 

 As a general rule, the bill is long, and more or less curved, the 

 tarsus short, and the hind toe large. The plumage is plain and 

 sombre, generally mottled or variegated. Some nestle in holes 

 of trees, and others build huge fabrics of sticks, or make a lar^-e 

 mud nest. 



They are divided into CerthincB, or true Creepers ; and Sittince, 

 or Nuthatches : both of which have representatives In India ; and 

 the remainder are all from tropical America, and have been 

 divided into Dendrocolapfince, or Tree-creepers ; Synallaxina^ or 

 Ground-creepers ; and FurnarincB, or Oven-birds, from the pecu- 

 liar mud-nest they make. Some of the Creepers approach the 

 Wrens, which are indeed classed with them by Gray and Swain- 

 son, and through which they probably unite with the dentirostral 

 group ; others, as the Nuthatches, have distant affinities for the 

 Woodpeckers ; and others, again, make a very near approach to the 

 Australian MelUpliagidcc, one species of CUmacteris having been 

 mistaken by Temminck for a Melliphaga. 



Sub-fam. Certhin^, True Creepers. 



Bill generally curved, of moderate length, or rather long, slen- 

 der ; wings moderate or long, ample, rounded, of ten primaries ; the 

 first short ; wing-coverts short ; tall longish in most, and with the 

 feathers often stiff and pointed, short in some ; toes long and slen- 

 der, outer toe longer than the inner one, much syndactile ; inner 

 toe slightly so ; hind toe very long, and its claw longer than 

 the middle one ; claws long, compressed, and curved, and all the 

 toes are very mobile. 



Most of the Creepers are inhabitants of the Old World, but a 

 few are American. Those which have the tail-feathers stiff, press 

 the tail against the bark of trees to aid them la climbing. 



Gen. Certhia, Linnaeus (in part). 



Bill moderate, slender, slightly curved, entire ; nostrils basal, 

 partly covered by a vaulted membrane ; wings somewhat long, 



