THE CANADIAN NUTHATCH. BIRDS. THE BRAZILIAN SABRE-BILL. 



319 



pally in appearance in the black colour of the head, 

 neck, and shoulders, and the white colour of the breast 

 and belly. This species runs about upon trees in all 

 positions just in the same way as our common Nut- 

 hatch, and like it rests and roosts with the head down- 

 wards. It also breeds in the holes of trees and fences. 

 Its food consists of insects, spiders, &c., but it probably 

 also feeds partly, like its European congener, upon nuts. 



THE CANADIAN NUTHATCH (Sitta canadensis) is a 

 smaller species than either of the preceding, measuring 

 only four inches and a half in length. It is easily dis- 

 tinguished by the crown of the head being black, bounded 

 by a white stripe, below which is a black line passing 

 through the eye; the lower surface is rust colour. This 

 bird is migratory in its habits, passing the winter in 

 the southern states of the American Union, and visiting 

 the more northern parts of the continent only in the 

 summer for the purpose of breeding. It is more rest- 

 less and rapid in its movements than even the preceding 

 species, which it resembles in its general habits. 



THE ORANGE- WINGED NUTHATCH (Sittella chryso- 

 ptera) is an inhabitant of the south-eastern part of the 

 Australian continent. In its habits it closely resembles 

 the European Nuthatch. This bird measures about 

 four inches and a half in length ; the upper surface is 

 grey, with the top of the head dark brown, and a streak 

 of brown down each feather of the back ; the wings are 

 dark brown, with a large red patch about the middle ; 

 the tail is black, with the tips of the outer feathers 

 white ; and the whole lower surface is greyish- white, 

 with brown spots on the inferior tail-coverts. 



Several nearly allied species occur in various parts of 

 Australia, amongst which we need only mention 



THE BLACK-CAPPED NUTHATCH (Sittella pileata), 

 which occurs principally in Western Australia, and is 

 one of the most active and elegant of the whole. It is 

 easily distinguished by its deep black crown, and in the 

 female this blackness extends over the whole top of the 

 head, whilst in the male the forehead, and the whole of 

 the space around the eyes, are white. 



THE SPINE-TAILED ORTHONYX (Orthonyx spini- 

 caudus}, a large species, rather more than eight inches 

 in length, has the shafts of the tail feathers prolonged 

 beyond the webs, forming, as indicated by the name, a 

 set of spines at the apex of the tail. This bird is found 

 in the most retired spots in the bushes skirting the 

 coast of the south-eastern angle of Australia ; here it is 

 seen running over the fallen trunks of trees, mossy 

 stones, &c., in search of the insects (principally beetles) 

 which constitute its food. The plumage of the upper 

 surface is brown, with a black mark on each feather ; 

 the rump and upper tail- coverts reddish-brown without 

 spots ; the wings are black with greyish transverse bars, 

 and the tail is black ; the lower surface is greyish-white, 

 with the throat rusty-red in the male, white in the 

 female, and bordered on each side with a crescent- 

 shaped deep black mark. 



THE CAYENNE TREE CREEPER (Dendrocolaptes 

 cayanensis). The place of the true Creepers and Nut- 

 hatches is taken in South America by a small group 

 of birds of which the genus Dendrocolaptes is the type. 

 In their habits these birds resemble the Creepers ; they 

 live solitary or in pairs in the woods and forests, creep- 



ing upon the trunks and branches of the trees. They 

 are said to prefer dead trees, probably on account of the 

 great quantities of insects and their larvae which they 

 find in them ; these constitute their principal nourish- 

 ment. They nestle in 'the holes of trees, depositing 

 their eggs upon the dust of decayed wood lining the 

 bottom of the hollow which they have selected. The 

 Cayenne Tree Creeper, which is one of the best known 

 species, inhabits the forests of Guiana and Brazil. 

 It has a rather long, slightly curved, and robust 

 bill, and a broad rounded tail ; its length is about two 

 inches, and its general colour is tawny above, pale 

 yellowish beneath, most of the feathers having a whitish 

 longitudinal streak. The bill and legs are black. 



THE BRAZILIAN SABRE-BILL (Xiphorhynclms pro- 

 curvus). Most of the species of Dendrocolaptes and the 

 allied genera have a rather stout and but slightly curved 

 bill, but in the present species, and a few nearly related 

 to it, the bill is of great length, and so much arched 

 that its summit rises as high as the level of the crown of 

 the bird's head. In the present species, which is about 

 the size of a blackbird, the bill is nearly two inches 

 long ; the general colour of the plumage is a cinnamon- 

 brown, passing into reddish-grey upon the head and 

 lower surface ; the head and neck are covered with 

 white streaks ; and the tail feathers are terminated by 

 very short naked points. By the agency of this stiff 

 tail, and of its strong feet, the Sabre-bill creeps upon 

 the trunks of palm-trees, and supports itself in an upright 

 position, while its long and curved bill is engaged in 

 probing the curved petioles in search of the larvae of 

 certain insects which burrow in them. The particular 

 palm-trees in which these larvae reside only grow upon 

 certain mountains, and it is only there that the Sabre- 

 bills are to be met with. 



THE SPINE-TAILED SYNALLAXIS (Synallaxis spi- 

 nicauda] is an example of another South American 

 group of this family. This bird measures about six 

 inches in length, and is of a chestnut-brown colour 

 above, white beneath; some spots on the crown of 

 the head, the face, and a streak over each eye, are 

 yellow. The tail is rather long, and its feathers are 

 acutely pointed and terminated by spines ; the four 

 middle ones are rusty-red, and the remainder chestnut 

 tipped with white. The species is an inhabitant of the 

 southern extremity of the American continent. It 

 resides amongst bushes, and feeds upon insects. 



THE SHARP-TAILED ANUMBI (Anumbius acuticau- 

 datus), which is nearly allied to the preceding species, 

 is an inhabitant of tropical America. It is remarkable 

 for the large size and curious construction of its nest. 

 This is placed upon slender branches, and the mass of 

 small spiny twigs heaped upon these is so great that 

 they are bent down, and it becomes a wonder how such 

 a quantity of materials can be collected and interlaced 

 by such small architects. The edifice exhibits several 

 external apertures, and contains many separate ch'arn- 

 J bers, in each of which a small quantity of soft vegetable 

 matter is deposited ; thus it requires no small amount 

 of trouble to detect the actual nest containing the eggs 

 or young. The object of this voluminous habitation is 

 said to be to give room for the young birds to move 

 about when their strength permits them to take exer- 



