67 



TABLE XIII. (Sec vol. i., p. 16.) 

 Order 2. PASSERINE. Tribe 7. TENUIROSTRES. 



THE birds of this tribe, comprehending tTie rest of 

 this division, are classed together, not so much with 

 reference to the actual strength or weakness of the 

 bill, as on account of its form and comparative 

 narrowness and length, which is seldom less than 

 twice that of the head, sometimes straight, at other 

 times more or less bent. In other respects, they 

 differ very materially; in fact, they have no connexion 

 whatever with each other. Amongst them we find, 

 of foreigners, the Humming-birds, and the genus 

 Todus, much resembling Kingfishers, but feeding 

 on insects instead of fish. Some species of the rest 

 are British, such as the Hoopoe and Bee-eaters; 

 both of which are, however, very scarce. 



In walking through woods, a rapping sort of noise 

 may be frequently heard high up in trees; and 

 though the hearer feels pretty confident that he is 

 within a few yards of the spot from whence this 

 rap, rap, rap, proceeds, he may fail in finding out 

 the cause. But if he has a keen eye, he may at last 

 perceive a small grayish blue-backed bird, with a 

 yellowish breast, busily employed, knocking away 

 with the full force of its head, beak, and body, as 

 if the whole were one solid mass, moving on the 

 hinges of its thigh-bones. After a while, the bird 

 will be seen to glide, rather than climb, up, or round 

 the stem, and disappear till it is again detected by 

 a repetition of the rap, rap, rap. It is the Nuthatch, 

 in the act of examining trees for insects, or engaged 



F 2 



