ORDER PASSERES. 385 



SUPPLEMENT ON THE TENUIROSTRES. 



To the general characters of this family, as described in 

 the text, we have nothing to add. The first genus is Sitta, 

 which we have chosen to translate hy our English name of 

 Nuthatch, which, however, is much more extensively 

 applied by Dr. Latham. The habits of this genus resemble 

 those of the woodpeckers, the creepers, and titmice; and 

 many names have been imposed upon them in consequence of 

 this analogy, which, however, convey only a partial idea of 

 their peculiarities. Their relations with the woodpecker and 

 titmouse, consist in their striking the bark of trees with their 

 bill, and climbing along the trunk like the former, and they 

 have much of the air and countenance of the latter ; but they 

 differ from the woodpecker in the form of the feet, tongue, 

 and tail, and from the titmouse in the bill. They also pos- 

 sess, in their manner of climbing on the trunks and thick 

 branches of trees, some analogy with the birds to which usage 

 has consecrated the name of creepers ; but they differ again 

 from these in the conformation of the bill and tail. It is 

 certain that all the species whose mode of life is known, nestle 

 in the hollows of trees, and have at least one brood annually. 



Many birds have been classed in this genus, whose right to 

 that distinction is more than doubtful. Some of them have 

 the lower mandible a little turned up. 



The Common Nuthatch is rather sedentary in the coun- 

 tries which it inhabits ; it approaches inhabited places in the 

 winter, and sometimes shews itself in orchards and gardens. 

 But the woods are its habitual dwelling, and the trunk of 

 the tree which furnished its cradle usually constitutes its 

 place of nocturnal retirement. Here also is its little maga- 



VOL. VII. c c 



