CREEPER. 275 



a gloss of polished steel ; throat and forepart of the neck bright 

 violet; breast purplish chestnut; from this to the vent black ; thighs 

 chestnut brown ; quills and tail black, the feathers of the latter 

 edged with violet. 



Inhabits Brazil. 



We are scarcely satisfied in having added Levaillant's bird to our 

 synonyms, for the one figured in his plate is more than five inches 

 long. The female is said to be a trifle smaller; general colour of 

 the plumage pale brown above, inclining to rufous on the crown and 

 hind part of the neck ; chin and throat black, ending in a narrow 

 streak on the breast ; sides of the breast, and beginning of the 

 belly whitish, with numerous dusky spots, as big as mustard seed ; 

 lower belly, thighs, and vent, very pale brown, nearly white. 



M. Levaillant found this in Africa, in the Hottniqua country, in 

 the rainy season, and therefore in the winter dress ; but Brisson and 

 others rank it with the Brasilian species ; however the fact may be, 

 the bird which Brisson describes, is considerably smaller, not being 

 three inches and a half in length, and said to have been sent from 

 Brazil. We therefore have reason to suspect th at the two birds in 

 question may be different species. 



90— BLACK-HEADED CREEPER. 



Certhia Spiza, Ind. Orn. i. 292. Lin. i. 186. Gm. Lin. i. 476. 



Merops Spiza, Merrem, Ic. Av. p. 17. 2. Vav. 



Certhia Americana viridis atricapilla, Bris. iii. 634. Id. 8vo. ii. 10. 



Avicula Americana altera, Seba, ii. t. 3. f. 4. Klein, Av. 79. 18. 



Guit-guit, Tern. Man. Ed. ii. Anal. p. lxxxiv. 



Guit-guit vert et bleu a tete noire, Buf. v. 534. Ois. dor. ii. 77. pi. 47. 



Black-capped Creeper, Shaw's Zool. viii. 240. 



Black-headed Creeper, Gen. Syn. ii. 736. 



SIZE of a Chaffinch ; length five inches and a quarter. Bill 

 three quarters of an inch, whitish ; head and throat velvet black ; 



N n 2 



