388 SINGING BIRDS. 



States about the middle of April, it commences the nest in the 

 hollow trunk or branch of a tree which has been exposed to 

 decay by injury or accident. Here in the accidental cavities 

 or deserted holes of the squirrel or Woodpecker the Creeper 

 deposits her eggs. The young creep about with great caution 

 previous to taking to their wings. 



The Brown Creeper is a common bird in New England, though 

 in the southern portions it occurs in the winter only, its breeding 

 area extending from Maine and Minnesota northward. In winter 

 it ranges as far southward as the Gulf States. It is common in 

 Ontario and Quebec, but less abundant in the Maritime Provinces. 

 An interesting account of the breeding habits of this bird, written 

 by Mr. WilHam Brewster, appeared in the Nuttall Bulledn for 

 July, 1879. 



Mr. Brewster credits the Creeper with a tender song, which 

 falls upon the ear " like the soft sigh of the wind among the pine 

 boughs." 



BAHAMA HONEY CREEPER. 



CCEREBA BAHAMENSIS. 



Char. Above, dark brown ; rump yellow ; stripe over eyes and un- 

 der parts dull white ; breast and edge of wing pale yellow ; tail broadly 

 tipped with white. Length 4^ inches. 



N^est. In a low tree or bush ; a large, pensile, dome-shaped structure, 

 the entrance at the side ; made of weed-stems and grass, and lined with 

 plant down. 



Eggs. 2-4 ; white, tinged with green and speckled with rufous : 0.65 

 X 0.50. 



The home of this species is on the Bahamas, but a straggler 

 has been found on the coast of Florida. Mr. Gosse in his " Birds 

 of Jamaica " gives an interesting account of this bird's habits. He 

 describes it as obtaining its food in much the same manner as 

 Humming Birds, — by probing the flowers; but instead of hover- 

 ing in front of a flower, the Creeper alights on the tree. When 

 examining a flower for the insects which are at the bottom of the 

 cup, the bird throws its body into a variety of positions, sometimes 

 with the back downward, the better to reach the interior of a 

 blossom with its curved bill and peculiar tongue. The bird is 

 unsuspecting and familiar, and freely resorts to the blossoming 

 shrubs of a garden. 



