110 
ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS# 
have broad and simply pointed tails (as in S. canifrons) 
while in others (S. ruficep.s, Jig. 5?. a) the points are 
lengthened and slightly stiffened : between this last form 
and that seen in Certhia familiaris (V) comes the cinna- 
mon creeper, Si/tuilln.vh cinnamominun (c), which is a 
true SynuUaxis, beginning to assume the tail of Certhia. 
The nuthatches again are deci<led climbers, and yet 
their tails are of the usual construction. On the other 
hand, there are instances of birds out of the circle of the 
Scansnrex, yet representing that order, which exhibit 
some of the essential characteristics of a scansorial tail. 
That noble grouse, the cock of the plains {CentrocArcus 
urophaxianus)* , exemplifies this in a remarkable manner, 
the feathers teing lance-shapcd, stiff, and terminating 
in acute points ; of the same structiu-e, in short, as those ^ 
of Certhin fmmliaru. 'I'he maize bird of America, also 
(Doticonyx oryzivnrm) has a completely scansorial tail’ 
shaped precisely like those of Dmidrocolaplex, with this 
difference only, that it is less rigid, and the shaft is not 
thickened. Very many other perching genera have either 
the naked acuminated tips of Lochmia and Synallaxis, 
or the tip of the shaft forms a little mucro, or point. 
We find this latter i)eculiarity among the cockatoos, 
(Plictolophina;), as one of the many analogical characters 
which show them to be the representations of the 
Scanmres, in the circle of the parrots ( 
(102.) A dimricated tail is the last modification of 
this most v,ariable member which we shall specifically 
name. Its form is intermediate between the even and ' 
the fnrlced structure. All the feathers, in fact are of 
equal length, but when the tail is closed, they seem to 
be dividcl in the middle, into two equal divisions, the 
points of which turn outwards in contrary directions, and 
thus, on a casual inspection, have every appearance of 
being sUghtly forked or divided. When, however the 
tail is spread, the equality of the feathers is at once’per- i 
ceived. The feathers of nearly all tails, thus constructed 
have their tips pointed, and as this form is chiefly found “ 
• North. ZooL vol. u. ph 53, 
