Birds. LVL W> No - 4 1 - 



TREE-CREEPERS AND HUMMING BIRDS. 



Fig l. The Wall - Creeper. 

 {Certhia muraria.) 



The Wall -creeper or fpider- catcher belongs 

 to the tribe of the tree-crepers and derives 

 its name from its creeping on the walls, 

 as the common creeper does on the trees , in 

 queft of fpiders and other infects which they 

 both live upon. 



This beautiful bird is of a folitary dispo- 

 fition and found lonely in Italy, France and 

 the middle parts of Germany. It builds its 

 neft in hollow trees or the rifts of walls , but 

 efpecially in Church - yards and the hollow 

 fkulls in the Charnel - houfes, whence it is alfo 

 fometimes called in Germany the death's bird. 

 It is about the fize of a fparrow. 



Fig. 2. The darkgreen Tree- 

 creeper. 



(Certhia ob/cura.) 



This pretty bird, is met with on the Sand- 

 wich-Islands in the Pacifick Ocean or South- 

 Tea. Its beautiful dark -green feathers are in 

 great requeft among the islanders who ufe 

 them in their drefs. It is highly remarkable 

 for its falcated bill and its tongue which is 

 befet all over with hair like a brufh and ferves 

 to fetch the infects out of the tree - rifts 

 or to fuck the honey of the flower - cups. 



Fig. 3. The blue hranliaii creeper. 



( Cert h ia cy cmeai) 



This fpecies inhabits generally the fouthern 

 parts of America and is on account of its 



glittering black and blue feathers one of 

 the moft beautiful birds of thole parts of the 

 world. It alfo feeds upon infects and the juice 

 of flowers. 



Fig. 4. The Cardinal. 



{Certhia Cardinali s) 

 This fine -coloured creeper is found upon 

 the islands of the South -fea and derives its 

 name from the brillant high red colour of its 

 plumage, the beauty of which is ftill more aug- 

 mented by the black feathers of its wings and 

 tail. It does not, like the other creepers, 

 live on infects , but entirely upon the juice 

 of flowers. 



Fig. 5. The elegant Hnminiilg-bird. 



{Trochilus ornatus.) 



Fig. 6. Thé ruby-headed Humming- 

 bird. 



{Trochilus moschitus). 

 We know from N. 9. of the 1. Vol. of our 

 Picture -Gallery the Humming-birds as the 

 fmalleft and moft beautiful kind of birds. 

 They confift of JO different fpecies, which 

 are only found in the hot regions of America, 

 in the Eaft- Indies and Afrika. ) They live on 

 the honey which they extract with their ten- 

 der bills from the flower -cups. The here re- 

 prefented fpecies which are only three inches 

 long , are efpecially remarkable for their beau- 

 tiful plumage. That of Nr. 5. is called the 

 elegant on account of the beautiful crefts that 

 adorn its Cbeeks and the top of its head. N. 6. 

 is named the ruby -headed, becaufe its head and 

 neck glitter like a ruby. Both the fpecies 

 occur only in South -Amerika. 



