THE BROWN CREEPER 



particles of food that he must work so industriously in or- 

 der to get enough to eat. He seems always in a hurry. 

 Mr. Frank Chapman has humorously described the brown 

 creeper as follows: 



"After watching him for several minutes, one becomes 

 impressed with the fact that he has lost the only thing in 

 the world he ever cared for, and that his one object in life 

 is to find it. Ignoring you completely, with scarcely a 

 pause, he winds his way in a preoccupied, near-sighted 

 manner up a tree-trunk. Having finally reached the top 

 of his spiral staircase, one might suppose he would rest 

 long enough to survey his surroundings, but like a bit of 

 loosened bark he drops off to the base of the nearest tree 

 and resumes his never-ending task." * 



The creeper is not easy to find. He is so wonderfully 

 protected by his dull brown feathers that he looks more 

 like an animated lichen than a bird. His nest is a clev- 

 erly camouflaged affair, tucked behind loose bark and 

 often containing eight whitish eggs about the size of 

 beans. 



We are surprised to learn that this patient, hard-working 

 little creature has the soul of a poet. His sweet nesting 

 song, reserved for his mate brooding in the woods, 

 breathes exquisite tenderness and beauty. 



^ From "Birds of Eastern North America," by Frank M. Giapman. 



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