BROWN CREEPER. 199 
blue ; round the upper part of the breast passes a band of blue, inter- 
spersed with some light brown feathers ; before the eye is a small spot 
of white, and another immediately below it ; the bill is three inches 
long, from the point to the slit of the mouth, strong, sharp pointed, 
and black, excejDt near the base of the lower mandible, and at the tip, 
where it is of a horn color ; primaries, and interior webs of the seconda- 
ries, black, spotted with white ; the interior vanes of the tail feathers 
elegantly spotted with white on a jet black ground ; lower side light 
colored ; exterior vanes blue ; wing-coverts and secondaries marked 
with small specks of white ; legs extremely short ; when the bird 
perches it generally rests on the lower side of the second joint, Avhich 
is thereby thick and callous ; claws stout and black ; whole leg of a 
dirty yellowish color ; above the knee bare of feathers for half an inch ; 
the two exterior toes united together for neaidy their Avhole length. 
The female is sprinkled all over with specks of white ; the band of 
blue around the upper part of the breast is nearly half reddish brown ; 
and a little below this passes a band of bright reddish bay, spreading 
on each side under the wings. The blue and rufous feathers on the \ 
breast are strong like scales. The head is also of a much darker blue 
than the back ; and the white feathers on the chin and throat of an 
exquisite fine glossy texture, like the most beautiful satin. 
Genus XXIX. CERTHIA. CREEPER. 
Species I. C. FAMILIARIS. 
BROWN CEEEPER. 
[Plate VIII. Fig. 1, Male.] 
Little Brown varieyatcd Creeper, Bartram, 289.* 
This bird agrees so nearly with the common European Creeper 
[Certhia familiaris), that I have little doubt of their being one and the 
same species. I have examined, at diiferent times, great numbers of 
these birds, and have endeavored to make a correct drawing of the 
male, that Europeans and others may judge for themselves ; and the 
excellent artist to whom the plate was intrusted has done his part so 
well in the engraving, as to render the figure a perfect resemblance of 
the livino; oriirinal. 
* We add the following synonymes : Certhia familiaris, Linn. Si/sl. ed. 10, vol. 
I., 118. — Gmel. Syst. I., 469. — Lath. Iiid. Orn. 280. — Le Grimpereau, Buff. PI. 
Enl. 681. 
