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GENUS MNIOTILTA — VIEILL. 



CREEPING WARBLER. 



[Bill slender, rather long, lip acute, compressed toward the end ; head rather 

 small ; body slender ; wings long ; tail of a moderate length, nearly even ; tarsi 

 shorter than the middle toes ; feet and toes slender] 



MNIOTILTA VARIA— LINN. 



Black and white Creeper, Certhia varia, Wils. Amer. Orn. 



Sylvia varia. Bonap. Syn. 



Creeping Warbler, Null. Man. 



Black and white Creeper, Certhia varia, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specijic Character — Bill rather long and slender ; wings long, 

 with the second and third quills longest, and about equal, the first 

 slightly shorter and exceeding the fourth ; tail of moderate length, 

 and nearly even. 



Adult with plumage very soft, the colors black and white ; the 

 middle of the breast, abdomen, a band on the upper part of the 

 head, a broad line over the eyes, a band on the sides of the neck, 

 and a patch on the outer tail feathers, white ; two bars on the wings 

 of the same color, formed by the tips of the secondary and first 

 row of small coverts. 



Female with the lower parts grayish-white, sides with dusky 

 streaks. Length five inches and a quarter, wing two and five 

 eighths. 



This neatly attired bird arrives in the spring in company with our 

 early warblers. It inhabits various situations, but is more generally 

 confined to the woods, and is frequently observed creeping round 

 the trunks of the largest trees, much in the manner of the Nuthatch. 

 It is quite common, and remains during the summer n^onths. 



" This Genus connects the Sylvicolince with the Certhianae."— ~ 

 Audubon. 



