ORNITHOLOGY. 



Gozus-CERJTHIA ; or, CREEPER. 

 Specics-CERTTHIA CCERULEA. 



Generic Character. — Body and bead tapering in form, the 

 bill arched, long, incurvated downwards, gradu- 

 ally acuminated and angular, sharpened at the 

 end ; at the base of the bill a nasal opening ; 

 three front toes equal, one hinder toe longer than 

 the other three, head much flattened, tail bifur- 

 cate. 



THE genus Cerithia, or Creeper, forms a curious and 

 interesting family, which naturally stands contiguous in 

 its characters to the Humming Bird, or Trochilus, so 

 remarkable for the radiance and splendor of their colours 

 and for the smallness of their bodies. The French writers 

 seem to have described the genus Cerithia under the name 

 Colibri, although there is perhaps a difference upon which 

 a generic distinction might be formed, if the characters 

 could be more minutely ascertained. At present, therefore 

 wc shall consider the Cerithia and Colibri as the same 

 family, for the sake of convenience of arrangement, these 

 birds not being yet sufficiently identified and understood. 

 The Trochilus, or Humming Bird, differs from the Cerithia 

 in the bill, which is more parrallel in its form and sometimes 

 even thickened at the end and more suddenly terminating. 

 There is a peculiarity also in the toes of the Humming 

 Bird, the hinder toe being of the same length as the others. 

 In the rich splendor of their plumage, the Humming Birds 

 are perhaps unrivalled, and in respect to their bright 

 metallic lustre, when examined by certain particular lights, 

 they have been distinguished by the names of the precious 



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