BROWN TREE-CREEPER. 37 



one, advancing upwards by short jerks. At each movement it 

 emits a shrill but feeble cry. See how it climbs, searching 

 every crevice, now proceeding directly upwards, now winding 

 round the trunk, presently passing behind it, and in a short 

 time appearing on the other side. Observe it well, and you 

 will see that it crouches close to the surface, presses its tail 

 against it, now and then picks something from a cleft, jerks 

 itself forwards, never rests for a moment, but seems in utmost 

 haste, and expresses its anxiety by continually emitting its 

 lisjDing cry. Yet its efforts are not laborious : it seems to hold 

 on with perfect ease and unconcern, and although it is now 

 half way up, it exhibits no sign of fatigue. There, it passes oft' 

 from the trunk, creeps along a nearly horizontal branch, wind- 

 ing round it, adhering even to its lower surface, with its back 

 toward the ground. Having gone as far as it finds convenient, 

 it flies back to the trunk, which it ascends, until you lose sight 

 of it among the twigs at the top. What next ? will it creep 

 down again I No ; there it comes with headlonof flight, glancing 

 like an arrow, curves as it comes near the ground, alights at 

 the very root of the next tree, and commences its ascent. You 

 may watch it for an hour, and you will find it as fresh, as lively, 

 and as keen as ever. Should it happen to observe you, and 

 suspect that you mean it no good, it will run up the back of 

 the tree, appearing now and then at the sides, until it is per- 

 haps half way up, when it will search all parts alike, being free 

 of the apprehension of injury. But now, hearing its friends 

 the Tits and Reguli at a distance, it looks abroad for a moment 

 from the top of the tree, and uttering a few cries, sweeps away 

 in a curving, somewhat undulatory course. 



Such, in fact, is the ordinary course of action of the Creeper, 

 which is thus of very peculiar and remarkable habits. It 

 alights at the bottom of a tree, clinging to the bark with its 

 claws, and without a moment's delay begins to ascend, which 

 it does by short starts, leaping forward as it were, and sup- 

 porting itself by pressing the tail against the bark. In this 

 manner it proceeds, diligently searching for insects, which it 

 picks out with the greatest dexterity. Should a person, curious 

 to observe its motions, go very near, it winds round so as to 



