CERTHIADiE. 
361 
chestnut, the same tint being carried down on 
the sides of the neck ; under parts are yellowish 
white, paler on the breast and belly ; the feathers 
on the throat, neck, and breast, irregular!}’ barred 
across with blackish brown, on the belly and 
flanks having the bar widening at the shaft, and 
running along it in a point. In the female the 
differences of plumage are extremely slight. 
From the Picidce we pass to the Certhiadce, or 
creepers, a very interesting family, and con- 
sidered as that which connects the Scansores 
with the Tenuirostres. The British list possesses 
only three forms representing as many families, 
so that we can scarcely enter into the manner in 
which they unite each other. The first sub- 
family, Certhiance, we have represented by the 
genus Certhia, composed of a very limited num- 
ber of species, truly arboreal in habits, climbing 
with facility, and supporting themselves by the 
tail, which is rigid as in the Woodpeckers. 
