The Tree Creeper. 29 
almost the form of a semi-circle.. The shape of the 
beak, together with the arched back and tail, contri- 
bute to give it this form, which is always noticeable 
when the bird is seen from the side. 
The nesting habits of this species are interesting. 
Sometimes a hole in a tree, but more usually a 
narrow crevice between the bark and trunk of a 
decaying tree, is chosen as a site for the nest. The 
crevice is frequently only half an inch in width, and 
into it the bird creeps, and piece by piece drags in 

Head of Creeper, showing long curved bill. 
From nature. Natural size. 
the materials which are to form the nest. One 
would suppose that, for the sake of security, the 
bird would fix the nest to the tree itself, instead of 
to the bark; such, however, is not the case, for 
when the bark is stripped off the nest adheres to it. 
This clever little builder makes a compact and 
handsome nest. Fine twigs, grass, and chips of 
touchwood are collected and placed in layers one 
above the other until a foundation is made. On the 
top of this foundation a little cup-shaped hollow is 
c 
