of the United States. 95 



the seveuth. Tail cuneiform, composed of twelve feathers, 

 elastic, rigid and acuminate. 



Female and young hardly differing from the male. Moult 

 annually. 



Solitary, or in families or small flocks ; frequenting woods 

 and orchards. Climb upwards and downwards on the trees, 

 the rigid tail serving as a support. Feed exclusively on in- 

 sects, their larvse and eggs, which they seek for in the crevices 

 and mosses of the bark. Lay twice a year in hollow trees ; 

 eggs from three to nine. 



Species few, but widely disseminated. Closely allied to 

 the following family, species of which formed part of it 

 as constituted by Linne, he. Intimately allied to the Canori 

 by some North American species of the genus Troglodytes. 



151. Certhia familiaris, L. Dark-cinereous, varied with 

 whitish, brown and fuscous ; beneath white ; rump and tail 

 rusty-brown. 



Brown Creeper, Certhia familiaris, Wils. Am. Orn. i. 

 p. 122. pi. S.fg. I. 



Inhabits the north of both continents ; more common in 

 Europe and in the western and northern states, than in Penn- 

 sylvania, which it visits only in the autumn and winter. 



28. SITTA. 



Sitta, L.Briss. Gm. Lath. 111. Cuv. Temm. Ranz. 



Sitta, Neops, Vieill. 



Bill moderate, verj' hard, conic-subulate, subrounded, a 

 little compressed, straight, cuneate at tip ; edges sharp ; 

 mandibles equal, lower generally recurved from the middle : 

 nostrils basal, orbicular, open, half closed by a membrane, 

 usually covered by setaceous incumbent feathers : tongue 

 short, cartilaginous, depressed and wide at base, emarginate- 

 lacerated and horny at tip. Feet robust ; hind toe stout, 

 elongated, with a very robust, aduncate, acute nail. Wings 



