460 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



ridged; tip of maxilla never uncinate and tomia never notched. Nos- 

 trils wholly exposed, linear, longitudinal, overhung by a distinct 

 (usually broad) operculum. Latero-frontal feathers not directed, for 

 ward; rictal bristles obsolete. Wing rather long but rounded; eighth, 

 seventh, and sixth, or seventh, sixth, and fifth, primaries longest, the 

 ninth shorter than sixth (sometimes shorter than fourth), the tenth 

 not less than one-third nor much more than half as long as ninth. 

 Tail variable as to relative length and shape of rectrices, but either 

 (1) much shorter than wing (sometimes but little more than half as 

 long), even, or very slightly rounded, with rectrices broad and rounded 

 at tip, or (2) nearly as long as wing, graduated, with rectrices stiffened 

 and acuminate at tip. Tarsus longer than middle toe without claw, the 

 acrotarsium distinctly scutellate; lateral toes very unequal in length, 

 the outer (without claw) reaching to beyond middle of subterminal 

 phalanx of middle toe, the inner reaching but little, if any, beyond 

 second joint of middle toe, or else (in Subfamily Climacterinse) the 

 outer reaching to but not beyond the subterminal phalanx of middle 

 toe and the inner falling short of second joint of middle toe; hallux 

 (without claw) shorter than outer toe (without claw) but longer than 

 inner, its claw as long as or longer than the digit (except in Climac- 

 terinse) ; basal phalanx of middle toe adherent for its entire length to 

 outer toe (half the subbasal phalanx also united in Climacterinse), for 

 nearly the whole length to inner toe (in Certhiinse), for its entire 

 length (in Climacterinse), or only half its length (in Tichodrominse). 



Coloration. — (See key to the subfamilies, on pages 460, 461.) 



Range. — Entire Palaearctic and Nearctic regions; Australia (where 

 represented by a peculiar subfamily). 



The preceding characters are drawn up from only three of the five 

 genera usually referred to this family, the other two Salpomis Gray" 

 and RJwjhdornis Reichenbach* not being available for comparison. 



The three genera which I have examined — Certhia Linnaeus, Ticho- 

 droma llliger " and Olimacteris Temminck, <* are so very unlike one 

 another in many characters that there is reasonable ground for doubt 

 as to the correctness of their being associated together in a single 

 family. At any rate, they certainly should represent separate sub- 

 families, whose external characters may be given as follows: 



aa. Outer toe (without claw) reaching JDeyond middle of subterminal phalanx of 

 middle toe, the inner toe reaching to or slightly beyond second (middle) joint 

 of middle toe; hallux with claw as long as or longer than the digit; middle toe 

 united to outer toe only by basal phalanx. 



O'Salpornis Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1847, 7 (type, Certhia spilonota Franklin). 

 bRhabdornis Reichenbach, Handb. Spec. Orn., Scansores, 1853, 16 (type, Meliphaga 

 mystacalis Temminck). 



cTichodroma llliger, Prodroraus Syst., 1811, 210 (type, Certhia muraria Linnajus). 

 <i Climacteris Temminck, Man. d'Orn., 1820, p. Ixxxv (type, C. scandens Temminck). 



