FAMILY T ENUIROSTRATA. SLENDER-BEAKED. 



71 



Family SLENDER-BEAKED ; Tenuirostrata. 



The individuals of this family are distinguished by their long, slender, 

 and unemarginated bills : the bills are in some straight, in others more or 

 less curved. 



ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES. 



Genera. 



PLATE 6. 



Species. 



Common Name. 



Sitta ..... Europasa - ... Nuthatch. 



Xenops . - - - - Rutilans - - - - 



Certhia ----- Familiaris - Common Creeper. 



Tichodroraa - - Muraria - - Wall Creeper. 



Trochilus. - ... Delalandii - - ... Delalandi's Humming-bird. 



Upupa ----- Epops ----- Hoopoe. 



Other Genera of this Family : Cinnyris, Melithreptus, Pomatorhinus, 

 Synallaxis, Tinactor. 



CHARACTERS OF THE GENERA. 



1. SITTA. Beak straight, depressed, cylindrical, conical, and sharp at 

 the point ; nostrils rounded, basal ; tail composed of twelve quills square 

 or slightly graduated ; feet furnished with three toes in front, the outer 

 connected at its base to the middle, and one behind having a very long and 

 curved claw. 



2. XENOPS. Beak short, slender, awl-shaped, compressed, pointed, tip 

 turned upwards ; upper mandible nearly straight, lower mandible very 

 much curved upwards; nostrils basal, lateral, ovoid, and covered with 

 membrane ; lateral toes nearly equal, the outer and middle ones connected 

 to the second joint, claws strong, compressed, and curved. 



3. CERTHIA. Bill slender, incurvated, sharp-pointed; tongue pointed 

 generally, but sometimes cleft; legs stout; toes three before and one 

 behind, which is the largest; claws hooked and long; tail composed of 

 eight feathers. 



4. TICHODROMA. Beak very long, slightly arched, slender, cylindrical, 

 its base angular, and point depressed ; nostrils basal, naked, and pierced 

 horizontally, half closed by membrane ; wings large ; tail rounded ; of the 

 front three toes the outer is connected to the base of the middle ; hind claw 

 very long. 



5. TROCHILUS. Beak long, thin, varying in different species from straight 

 to much curved ; upper mandible broad as the forehead, tip sharp ; lower 

 mandible almost completely hidden within the upper ; tongue long, ex- 

 tensile ; nostrils basal, marginal, very small, covered with a broad vaulted 

 membrane, and open in front ; wings long and sharp ; legs very short, the 

 tarsus shorter than the middle toe, and often feathered ; toes three in front, 

 the inner two slightly connected at their base, and one behind armed with 

 slender curved claws. 



6. UPUPA. Head furnished with a crest, consisting of a double row of 

 long feathers, capable of elevation or depression at will ; beak very long 

 and slender, compressed, trigonal and slightly arched ; nostrils basal, lateral, 

 ovoid ; wings of moderate length ; toes three in front, with short, slightly- 

 curved claws, and one behind with the claw nearly straight. 



The general characteristics of the " other genera," will be found after 

 Description of the Illustrated Species. 



TENUIRQSTRATA. DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES. 



SITTA Nutfiatch. The birds forming this genus are considered by 

 most ornithologists to be found in all parts of the world, Sir William 

 Jardine excepted, who restricts them to Europe and South America. They 

 are extremely restless and active, running up andAown the trunks and 

 branches of trees with great rapidity in search *^plp on which they live, 

 and which they extract from the holes or cracks by Aeans of their strong 

 awl-like beaks. They also, however, feed upon tie kernels of nuts or 

 fruits, and hence the name Nuthatch; but Wilson is disposed to think that 

 the bird only breaks up the nuts in search of maggots often there con- 

 tained. It is certain, however, that they are also seed-eaters. They make 

 their nests in the holes of trees, or under the eaves of barns. 



The European Nuthatch (S. Europa?a) is five inches and a half in length ; 

 all the upper parts ashy-blue ; throat white ; front of the neck, chest, and 

 belly, yellowish- ferruginous ; flanks and thighs chestnmVred ; middle two 

 tail-quills grey, lateral quills black; beak bluish-ash; legs grey. The 

 colours of the female are less brilliant, and the black streak above the eye 

 less distinct. They make their nest of old leaves in the hollow of a tree, 

 and, according to Montagu, choose the deserted habitation of some Wood- 

 pecker. The female lays from five to seven eggs of a greyish-white colour 

 spotted with brown, and sits close, being provided with food by her mate ; 

 she is, however, easily disturbed from her nest, and then utters a hissing 

 sound like a snake. In the spring the Nuthatch utters a loud shrill whistle. 

 If taken young they may be tamed, but are very impatient of confinement, 

 and often kill themselves in attempting to escape if caged when older. (PI. 6.) 

 XENOPS. The individuals composing this genus climb as web 1 as the 

 Woodpeckers (Picus), and Prince zu Weid says that he has never seen 

 them sit upright; they also tap the trees like the Woodpecker, but are 

 less lively and noisy than the Nuthatch. They are not shy, but like the 

 Creepers, approach the neighbourhood of human dwellings. There are 

 two species, the Xenops Genibartris and the species figured on Plate 6, 

 Xenops Rutilans. The former is five inches and a quarter long, the latter is 

 but four inches and a half, or three-quarters of an inch in length : the top 

 of its head is greyish-brown, streaked rufous; over each eye a rufous 

 streak ; upper parts and also the wings rufous-brown ; under parts greyish- 

 brown, with numerous white spots ; wings speckled ; legs dusky blue. 



CERTHIA Creeper. This genus has frequently been confounded with 

 the Humming Bird or Trochilus, but it differs from it in having the bill 

 sharp and pointed, however different the shape may be in the different 

 species : whilst in the TrocMi it is more or less blunt. They are sub- 

 divided into six subgenera : 1, Certhia, The True Creeper ; 2. Dendrocolaptes, 

 or Picucules; 3. Teichodramce, or Wall Creeper ; 4, Nectarina; 5. Diccea, 

 and, 6. Heorotarius, Honey-sucker. The species are numerous. One of 

 the species of the first division, the Common Creeper (C. Familiaris), Plate 

 6, is one of the smallest British birds ; it is five inches long and six and a 

 half broad; its bill is hooked the upper mandible brown, the lower 

 whitish; general colour of the plumage brown above, streaked with black; 

 breast and belly white ; rump and tail tinged with red, the latter cunei- 

 form. The female is not so bright in its colours. It is a native of Europe, 

 Asia, and America, and is very common in England ; it runs upon the bark 

 of trees with as much facility as a fly walks upon glass, in search of insects 

 upon which it feeds. It has no song, but its note resembles zich zich 

 repeated deliberately. 



TICHODROMA Wall Creeper. This genus was included among the 

 Linnaan Certhiae till separated by Illiger ; from this, however, it is distin- 

 guished by the weakness of the stems of its caudal quills ; and the great 

 length of its hind claws. One species, the Wall Creeper (T. Phcenicoptera), 

 Plate 6, measures about six and a half inches in length ; beak and irides 

 black ; top of head deep ash ; nape, back, and scapulars pale-ashy ; throat 

 and front of neck deep black ; under parts blackish-ashy ; wing-coverts 

 bright red ; legs black. The female has the top of the head ashy like the 

 back, and the throat and front of the neck white, tinged with ashy. They 

 moult twice a year ; the males have their black throat only at their spring 

 moult ; after breeding-time these feathers gradually drop out, and after the 

 autumnal change the males are not to be distinguished from the females. 

 They are found in the southern parts of Europe upon low rocks, and rarely 

 upon those of moderate height. 



TROCHILUS Humming Bird. This most beautiful and minute section 

 of birds has been generally divided by the French naturalists, from Brisson 

 to Lesson, into two distinct genera, in consequence of some having the 

 beak straight and others having it curved; the only distinction which, the 

 latter writer admits, can be observed either in their organization or habits. 

 LinnsDus has, however, included all under one single kind, and has been, in 

 this respect, followed by Temminck, and also by Prince Maximilian. 



The tongue of the Humming Birds has considerable resemblance to that 

 of the Woodpeckers (Picf) in its great extensibility, the branches of the bone 



