24 



cassell's book of birds. 



pointed beaks, more or less curved, weak feet, and long toes, anned with large, hooked, and sharp 

 daws. The wings, of which the third or fourth quills exceed the rest in length, are blunt, and formed 

 of weak feathers ; the long, narrow, conical tail is divided into two points at its tip, and formed of 

 strong feathers ; the lax, soft plumage is of a brownish hue above, and white beneath ; the homy 

 tongue has a sharp margin, the tip is thread-like, and the base is furnished with tooth-like appendages. 

 These birds principally inhabit the Eastern Hemisphere and North America. 



THE ALPINE WALL CREEPER ( Tichodroma muraria). 



The TREE PECKERS are more powerfully formed than the above-mentioned birds. Their beak 

 is comparatively long, more or less curved, and very sharply pointed at its tip ; the feet are short, the 

 toes long, armed with high, sharp, and much-curved claws ; the wdng, in which the third or fourth 

 quill is the longest, is pointed ; the long, stiff tail usually terminates in tivo points ; the plumage is 

 of a uniform tint on the back, but variegated on the under side ; the tongue is homy at its tip. 



The above groups resemble each other so closely in their habits that one description will suffice 

 for them both ; and, to avoid confusion, we shall combine them under the general name of — 



TREE CLIMBERS {Scandentes). The Tree Climbers pass their time within the shelter of their 

 native woods, keeping together in pairs or families ; some species, however, associate with other birds, 



