172 Family Certhiid.e. 



diligently, and extracting spiders from the various holes and crevices. Unhappily 

 I could not persuade this bird to eat anything but living insects, woodlice, and 

 spiders ; it would not look at soft food (of which there was plenty in the aviar}-) 

 but having devoured every spider, insect and woodlouse which it could find, it simph- 

 starved itself to death : wh}- a bird which, in winter, will join the Robins and 

 Sparrows round our houses to feed on bread-crumbs, and which is also said to eat 

 seeds and small fruits, should have refused to touch these articles of food, prefer- 

 ring rather to die of inanition, is a myster3^ Perhaps, though outwardly calm and 

 natural, this bird inwardl}' chafed at its captivit}', and onlj' living food had the 

 power to tempt it to eat. Anyway the conclusion to which my experience has led 

 me is — If you would keep Wrens as pets, it is safest to rear them from the nest. 



FAMILY CERTHIID^. 



THIS group of birds is again referred to the Parina: by Seebohm, who 

 remarks that " In their rounded wings, small bastard primar}^ scutellated 

 tarsus, and large feet with well developed hind toe, the species of this 

 genus fCerthia) are tj'pical Parina:'" yet, on the same page, he admits that "The 



Creepers are somewhat aberrant members of the Subfamily Parina^' which 



seems a little contradictory. 



It appears to mc that, in his classification of birds, Seebohm allowed himself 

 to be too much influenced b_v the character of the eggs ; although the admission 

 of Accentor among the Tits was a distinct deviation from this tendenc}*. Much as 

 one respects and admires a man who upholds his own views in opposition to the 

 opinion of a majority, one does not feel bound to follow his lead, unless he can 

 bring forward convincing evidence in support of those views. 



The Creepers differ from the Tits in their much longer bills with elongated 

 nostrils, the crown of the head never crested, the tail-feathers stiff and pointed 

 like those of the Woodpeckers, which the}' also much resemble in their habits : 

 they are distinctl}' more insectivorous than Tits ; and, in their search for food, are 



