14 EVERYDAY BIRDS 
After the young ones are hatched, at all events, 
the father bird’s behavior leaves nothing to be 
complained of. He “ comes to time,” as we say, 
in the most loyal manner. In and out of the 
nest he and the mother go, feeding their hungry 
charges, making their entry and exit always at 
the same point, through the merest crack of a 
door, between the overhanging bark and the tree, 
just above the nest. It is a very pretty bit of 
family life. 
It would be hard to imagine a nest better con- 
cealed from a bird’s natural enemies, especially 
when, as is often the case, the tree stands in 
water on the edge of a stream or lake. And 
not only is the nest wonderfully well hidden, but 
it is perfectly sheltered from rain, as it would not 
be if it were built under a strip of bark that was 
peeled from above. All in all, we must respect 
the simple, demure-looking creeper as a very 
clever architect. 
eae 
