Iviii APPENDIX IV. 
as well as the tail coverts are of a blueish green. The tail is forked ; the 
outer feather being one inch longer than those in the middle, and mea- 
suring full three inches long : the tail above is blue or greenish, according 
to the light, the shafts of the feathers being of a dark chesnut colour, the 
middle feathers plain coloured, and the outer partaking of the same tinge, 
with the tips and margin of the interior web dusky : an indistinct sort of 
dusky bar crosses the ends of the other feathers, but on the fifth pair is 
hardly visible, except on the inner web ; while all except the middle and 
outer pair of feathers are tipped with white, which becomes deeper on the 
inner web. The space beneath the tail is dusky ; the bar and tips of the 
outer feathers being darker, and the tips of the rest whitish. The wing is 
nearly of the same colour with the body, but inclines a little more to 
chesnut on the quills ; the outer margins of the primaries have a shade of 
blue, their tips are dusky, and the inner edges of a chesnut colour ; on the 
secondaries and tertials the chesnut colour encroaches also upon the outer 
web, is margined with green, and deeply tipped with dusky, which be- 
comes pale at the extreme tip. The space below the ridge of the wing is 
green, and the rest of the feathers are of a chesnut colour, with dusky tips : 
the first quill being scarcely an inch and an half long, and the third, which 
is longest, measuring three inches. The scapular feathers and those 
nearest the back have a considerable tinge of blue. The legs are weak 
and dusky, appearing to have been of a reddish tinge. 
No. 26. Certhia Tacazse, Splendid Creeper. 
It is impossible by any words to describe the splendid effect of the colours 
in this bird ; the whole head, neck^ and breast, the upper part of the 
belly, the back and rump, the upper coverts and bend of the wing, present 
a glow of metallic lustre that cannot be surpassed by any other even of this 
brilliant family ; the head, neck, and breast, are principally of a golden 
green colour, mingled with a considerable share ofthe rich coppery purplish 
gloss that adorns the other parts ; the wings are dusky, edged outwardly 
with deep blue; the quills plain dusky; while the lower part of the belly, 
the vent, legs, and claws, are black. The tail would be rounded in shape, 
were it not for the two middle feathers which exceed the rest in length by 
nearly two inches, and it is of a blue black colour, with the edges, for about 
