CEEEPEES. 
teristic features consist in the elongation of the hinder 
toe and claw, and the general curvature and sharpness 
of all the claw's, so that they may hitch into the slightest 
inequalities of surface. It is only in the Australian 
genus Glimacteris, Mr. Swainson observes, that this ex- 
cessive development of the posterior toe is at its maxi- 
mum ; in this genus, owing to its enormous claw, the 
hinder far exceeds the length of the middle toe, and 
this latter is connected to the one that is external, 
nearly to the end of its first joint. It must, however, 
be observed that those birds which exhibit this great 
development of the hinder toe and claw derive their 
faculty of climbing from these members only ; they 
receive no assistance whatever from their tail, which 
is not only destitute of naked points, which charac- 
terise the true Creeper, but are likewise destitute of 
all rigidity, so that, as a means of support, it becomes 
quite useless. When the tail acts as a support to the 
bird in its perpendicular ascent, the hind toe is pro- 
portionately diminished in length. It is in the sub- 
family Certhiancd that the highest development of the 
powers requisite for a scansorial Creeper are dis- 
played. The toes of the common Creeper of this 
country {Certliia familiar is) for example, are very 
slender, the inner one considerably the shortest, and 
the hinder one again so lengthened that it equals the 
middle one ; all the claws are large, very slender, and 
acute, but while those in front are greatly curved, that 
behind is much less so. The tail in this species ex- 
hibits a true scansorial structure, the feathers gra- 
dually tapering to a point («), which are thus enabled 
to enter into the crevices and inequalities of the 
