mOGLODYTID^: WRENS. 
273 
Fig. 146. —Head, foot, and tail-feather of Cer- 
thia, nat. size. (Ad nat. del. E. C.) 
18. CER'THIA. (Lat. certhius, a creeper. Fig. 146.) Characters as above. The stock-form 
of this genus varies according to locality. European varieties sometimes recognized are C. costa 
and C. hritannica. The N. Am. bird, which is in- 
separable from the European, has been called C. 
rufay fusca, and americana, for Eastern specimens, 
C. montana for those from the Rocky Mt. region, 
and C. occidentalis for those from the Pacific coast 
region. The Mexican form, C. mexicana, difiers 
more appreciably, as below given. 
62. C. familia'ris. (Lat. familiaris, from familia, 
family; domestic, home-like. Fig. 145.) Brown 
Creeper. ^ 9 Upper parts dark brown, chang- 
ing to rusty-brown on the rump, everywhere 
streaked with ashy-white. An obscure whitish superciliary stripe. Under parts dull whitish, 
sometimes tinged with rusty on the flanks and crissum. Wing-coverts and quills tipped with 
white, the inner secondaries also with white shaft-lines, which, with the tips, contrast with the 
blackish of their outer webs. Wings also twice crossed with white or tawny-white, the ante- 
rior bar broad and occupying both webs of the feathers, the other only on the outer webs near 
their ends. Tail grayish-brown, darker along the shaft and at the ends of the feathers, some- 
times showing obsolete transverse bars. Bill blackish above, mostly flesh-colored or yellowish 
below; feet brown; iris dark brown. Length of ^ 5.25-5.75; extent 7.50-8.00; wing 2.50; 
more or less; tail usually a little longer than the wing, sometimes not so, 2.50 to nearly 3.00 j 
tarsus about 0.60 ; bill 0.65-0.75 ; 9 averaging smaller than ^. Temperate N. Am., in wood- 
land, abundant, generally seen winding spirally up the trunks and larger branches of trees. 
;2a. C. f. mexica'na. (Lat. of Mexico.) Mexican Creeper. Difi'ers in lacking light tips of the 
primary coverts, and general richer coloration, the browm more rusty ; rump bright chestnut ; 
under parts grayish. Mexico, to S. W. border of the U. S. (Not in Check List, 1882 ; since 
ascertained to inhabit Arizona.) 
6. Family TROGLODYTID^ : Wrens. 
Embracing a number of forms assembled in 
considerable variety, and difiicult to define with 
precision. Closely related to the last three fami- 
lies ; known from these by non-acuminate tail- 
feathers and exposed nostrils. Very intimately 
resembling, in particular, the mocking group of 
thrushes — those with scutellate tarsi and not 
strictly spurious 1st primary ; but all our wrens 
are smaller than any of the Mimince, and other- 
wise distinguished by less deeply cleft toes — as 
stated on p. 248 ; the inner toe is united by half 
its basal joint to the middle toe, sometimes by 
the whole of this joint ; and the second joint of 
the outer toe enters wholly or partially into this union, instead of the basal only." Nostrils 
narrowly or broadly oval, exposed, overhung by a scale; bill moderately or very slender, 
straight or slightly decurved, from half as long to about as long as the head, unnotched 
in all our genera; no evident rictal bristles; wings short, more or less rounded, with 10 
primaries, the 1st short, but not strictly spurious; tail of variable length, much or little 
rounded, of broad or narrow feathers, often held over the back. Tarsi scuteUate, sometimes 
behind as well as in front. 
18 
Fig. 147. — European Wren. (From Dixon.) 
