258 BIRDS. ANJSODACTYLI. 



ORDER VI. ANISODACTYLI. 



Bill more or less arched, often straight, always subulate, and 

 slender ; feet with three toes before and one behind, the ex- 

 terior united at the base to that in the middle, the hinder one 

 generally long, and all provided with long and bent claws. 



The birds of this division have more or less the manners and habits of those of the 

 preceding order ; for almost all of them are climbers, and insectivorous. Their tongue 

 is more or less extensible. The character of the order, as implied in the name, is 

 having the toes of unequal length. 



Gen 1. OXYRHYNCHUS, Tern. 



Bill short, straight, triangular at its base, attenuated and awl- 

 shaped at the point ; nostrils basal, lateral, naked, and partly 

 covered by a membrane ; tarsus short, nearly the length of 

 the middle toe ; three toes before, the lateral equal, the ex- 

 ternal joined at the base, the internal divided ; fourth and 

 fifth quill-feathers longest. 



O.Jlammiceps, Tern. Plumage of back and wings fine olive green ; 

 beneath yellowish white,, with dusky spots ; head with crimson 

 incumbent crest, its sides with three transverse yellowish lines. 

 7 inches long. Inhabits Brazil. Shaw, xiv. pi. 24. The only 

 species of the genus. 



Gen. 2. SITTA, Lin. 



Bill straight, cylindrical, slightly compressed, tip acuminated ; 

 nostrils basal, rounded, partly concealed by reflected bristles ; 

 tongue short, horny ; three toes before, the exterior joined 

 at its base to the middle one ; hind toe very long, with a 

 long hooked claw ; tail composed of twelve feathers. 



The species of this genus are climbers, and differ from the woodpeckers in being 

 able to ascend or descend the trunks of trees with equal facility. They feed chiefly 

 on insects and their larvae ; sometimes on nuts and seeds. 



S. Europcea, Lin. Nuthatch. Plumage plumbeous above, sub-ferrugi- 

 nous beneath ; a black streak across the eyes ; lateral tail feathers 

 black, whitish near the tips ; breast and belly buff orange. 5| 

 inches long. Inhabits Europe. Selby, Illust. pi. 39, fig. 1. 



S. Carolinien&is, Lath. Black-headed Nuthatch. Plumage cinereous 

 above, whitish beneath, with the lower part of the abdomen in- 

 clining to rufous ; head and upper part of the neck black, and 

 the tail-feathers varied with black and white. Inhabits America. 

 Wilson's Amer. Orn. i. pi. 2, fig. 4. 



Gen. 3. ORTHONYX, Lin. Tern. 



Bill very short, compressed, almost straight, point notched; 

 nostrils in the middle of the bill, open, surmounted by bris- 

 tles ; tarsus longer than the middle toe ; claws longer than the 

 toes, furrowed laterally ; wings very short ; tail long, pointed. 



