Читать книгу A Synopsis of the Birds of North America - John James Audubon - Страница 76

Bill about the same length as the head, very slender, arched, much compressed, acute; upper mandible with the dorsal line arched, the ridge narrow, the sides sloping at the base, nearly erect in the rest of their extent, the edges sharp, arched, without notch, the tip acute; lower mandible with the angle rather long, narrow, and pointed, the outline decurved, the sides erect and convex, the edges inclinate, the tip acute. Nostrils linear-oblong, operculate. Head ovate; neck short; body slender. Feet rather short, very slender, tarsus rather shorter than the middle toe, very slender, much compressed; toes extremely compressed; the first comparatively large, longer than the middle toe, including the claw; the inner toe shorter than the outer; claws long, moderately arched, slender, extremely compressed, laterally grooved, acute, that of the hind toe very long. Plumage long, loose, very soft. Bristles obsolete. Wings of moderate length, very broad; the first quill very short, the fourth and fifth longest. Tail long, graduated, of twelve moderately stiff pointed feathers.

115. 1. Certhia familiaris, Linn. Brown Tree-Creeper

Plate CCCCXV. Male and Female.

Upper parts reddish-brown, the head darker, the rump light brownish-red; all the feathers with a central dull whitish streak; wings deep brown, the coverts tipped, the secondaries barred at the base with dull yellow, of which a broad band, in the midst of a brownish-black space, crosses both webs of the quills, excepting the inner webs of the outer four, and the outer webs of the outer three; most of the quills also with a greyish-yellow patch along the outer web toward the tip, which is dull white; tail-feathers yellowish-brown; with shafts of a lighter tint, the webs darker toward the end; a silvery white band over the eye; cheeks dark brown; lower parts silvery white, sides tinged with brown.

Male, 51/2, 81/2.

From Louisiana to Maryland, and in the interior to Kentucky, during winter. From Pennsylvania eastward to Nova Scotia, in summer, breeding in all the intermediate parts. Common.

Brown Creeper, Certhia familiaris, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 122.

Certhia familiaris, Bonap. Syn. p. 280.

Brown Creeper, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 585.

Brown Creeper, Certhia familiaris, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 158.