84 PASSERES. NECTARINIAD^l. 



FAM. NECTARINIAD^. (The Honey-suckers.) 



BLACK AND YELLOW CREEPER.* 



Banana Quit. 



Certhiola flaveola. 



Certhiajlaveola, LINN. Edw. 122. 



Nectarinia Antillensis. LESS. 

 Certhiola flaveola, SUNDEV. 



SCARCELY larger than the average size of the 

 Humming-birds, this little Creeper is often seen 

 in company with them, probing the same flowers, 

 and for the same purpose, but in a very different 

 manner. Instead of hovering in front of each 

 blossom, a task to which his short wings would 

 be utterly incompetent, the Quit alights on the 

 tree, and proceeds, in the most business-like manner, 

 to peep into the flowers, hopping actively from twig 



* Length 4 inches, expanse 6-|, flexure 2^-. tail 1^, rictus T %, tar- 

 sus -i, middle toe T %. 



Male. Irides dark hazel ; beak black, very acute ; feet slate-grey : 

 tongue bifid, penicillate. Upper parts black, except the rump, which is 

 bright yellow, well-defined. Outer web of the primaries white at base, 

 which then runs down along the edge ; secondaries, tertials, and tail fea- 

 thers very slightly tipped with white : on the outmost tail-feather the white 

 tip is very much increased. Over the eye a broad arched stripe of white. 

 Throat dull, dark grey. Under parts yellow, deepest on the breast, di- 

 vided from the grey by a transverse line, very pale or white on under 

 tail-coverts. Inner surface of wings white ; edge of shoulder brilliant 

 yellow. 



Female, and young of year. Upper parts blackish olive ; band over 

 eye, rump, and whole under parts dull, pale yellow ; wing quills dull 

 black, bases white ; tail black, tips whitish. Colours ill-defined. 



