CERTHIAN^. 
71 
long, well arched, extremely compressed, and acute. Plum- 
age very soft and blended. Bristles obsolete. Wings long, 
with the second and third quills longest and about equal, 
the first slightly shorter, and exceeding the fourth. Tail 
of moderate length, nearly even. This genus connects the 
Sylvicolinae with the Certhianae. 
114. 1. Mniotilta varia, Linn. Black-and-white Creeping 
Warbler. 
Plate XC. Male. 
Male with the plumage white, variegated with glossy black, longi- 
tudinally disposed ; a band along the middle of the head and hind 
neck, a streak over the eyes, a band along the sides of the neck, two 
bars on the wings, the middle of thb breast and abdomen, with a patch 
at the end of the outer two tail-feathers, white. Female with the up- 
per parts similar, but with the black less deep, the lower parts greyish- 
white, the sides and lower tail-coverts marked with black. Young 
light brownish-grey above, paler beneath, with the abdomen white. 
Male, 51, 72* 
Generally distributed. Migratory. 
Black-and-white Creeper, Certliia varia, WiLS. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 23. 
Sylvia varia. Bo nap. Syn. p. 81. 
Black-and-white Creeper, Certhia varia, Aun. Orn. Biog. v. i, p. 452 ; v. v. p. 471. 
FAMILY IX. CERTHIAN^. CREEPERS, 
Bill of moderate length or rather long, slender, slightly 
arched, much compressed, acute ; upper mandible with its dor- 
sal outline convex or arched, the ridge narrow, the notches 
slight or obsolete, lower mandible with the angle rather long 
and narrow, the dorsal line straight or slightly decurved, the 
edges inclinate, the tip acute. Head moderate, ovate ; neck 
short, body slender. F eet of moderate length, or rather short ; 
tarsus about the same length as the middle toe, compressed, 
with eight anterior scutella, toes of moderate length, much 
compressed, hind toe proportionally long, outer adherent at 
the base ; claws rather long, extremely compressed, arched, 
acute. Wings short or of moderate length. Tail of twelve 
