214 CREEPER. 



In one of these the lower belly, thighs, and vent nearly approached 

 to green. — The female is smaller; plumage in general dirty olive- 

 green, inclined to yellow beneath ; tail without the two long middle 

 feathers ; bill, legs, and eyes brown. In the rainy season the male 

 loses the elongated tail feathers, and appears in plumage much 

 like the female ; while young, both sexes have the dress of the female. 



This is very common at the Cape of Good Hope, about Cape 

 Town, and on the East Coast ; most frequent on the mountains, but 

 will come into the gardens where the plants are in flower, and espe- 

 cially the orange trees. The male has a weak warble, short, but 

 agreeable : the nest is made among the shady shrubs, composed of 

 the down of plants within, outwardly of fine moss, and lichen ; the 

 egss five in number, bluish white, marked with fine dots of brown. 

 These birds remain in the neighbouring parts throughout the year, 

 but seen in different districts, according to the various times of 

 flowering in each place. 



4— FAMOUS CREEPER. 



Certhia famosa, Ind. Orn. i. 2SS. Lin. i. 187. Gm. Lin. i. 4S1. 



■ longicauda Cap. B. Spei, Bris. iii. 647. t. 34. 1. Id. Svo. ii. 14. Gerin. ii. 



t. 201. 1. Spalowsck. Vog.'i. t. 14i 

 Grand Soui-manga a longue Queue, Buf. v. 521. Ois. dor. ii. pi. 37. 

 Grimpereau a longue Queue du Cap de B. Esp. PL enl. 83. 1. 

 Le Sucrier malachite, Levail. Afr. vi. 143. pi. 289. 290. 

 Shining Creeper, Nat. Misc. pi. 19. Shaw's Zool. viii. 212. pi. 31. 

 Famous Creeper, Gen. Si/n. ii. 720. Id. Sup. 128. 



SIZE of a Linnet in the body; total length nine inches. Bill 

 one inch and three quarters, black; tongue the length of the bill ; 

 irides deep brown ; the whole plumage green gold, glossed with 

 copper; between the bill and eye a black stripe, like velvet; on each 

 side, under the shoulders, a fine yellow spot, appearing when the 



