CERTHIAD.E. 



361 



chestnut, the same tint being carried down on 

 the sides of the neck ; under parts are yellowish 

 white, paler on the breast and belly ; the feathers 

 on the throat, neck, and breast, irregularly barred 

 across with blackish brown, on the belly and 

 flanks having the bar widening at the shaft; and 

 running along it in a point. In the female the 

 differences of plumage are extremely slight. 



From the Picidce we pass to the Certhiadce, or 

 creepers, a very interesting family, and con- 

 sidered as that which connects the Scansores 

 with the Tenuirostres. The British list possesses 

 only three forms representing as many families, 

 so that we can scarcely enter into the manner in 

 which they unite each other. The first sub- 

 %mily, Cert/iiafUB) we have represented by the 

 genus Certhia, composed of a very limited num- 

 ber of species, truly arboreal in habits, climbing 

 with facility, and supporting themselves by the 

 tail, which is rigid as in the Woodpeckers. 



