298 



Till-: TAWNY CREEFEU 



aiigcl tlilty lis|M.(l in liic trci--t<>i)s where the ti-iilcr j^rccn fir fnnuls melt into 

 tlie sky — some WarMcr, I giiess; the lleniiit. periiaps. rouiuliiig out his unsaid 



devotions. And again, " '"'^ :c,i ..■"'''"'' like a garland of song caught 

 uj) at eillier end and made fast to the ether. No! Would you believe it! 

 It is our prosv clerkling! Me has turned fay, and goes carolling about his 

 task as blitliely as a bejewelled urlisti- with nothing to do. Love? ^cs; 



love of the woods, for it is the mid- 

 die of Septemljer. 



All of whidi leads me to apologize 

 for the rude ejjilhets i)reviously used ; 

 for one wIkj can sing belongs to tlie 

 immortals : and never again will we 

 judge a brother harshly, for who 

 knows the vaulting heart of the 

 seeming plodder! 



Tile oidinary, working note of 

 the Tawny Creeper is a faint 

 Isif', and tiiis is varied from time 

 to time l)y a longer doul)le note, 

 tsiii- Isrc (of a resonant quality 

 whicii cannot be made to apjKjar 

 in the transcript ). Tiiis latter it 

 is wiiicii one can never quite cer- 

 tainly distinguisii from that of the 

 Western Golden-crowned Kinglet. 

 The full song is. indeed, very 

 sweet and dainty, with a bit of 

 a i)laintive «|ualily, which serves to 

 distinguish it from the utterances 

 of the Wood \\arl)Iers. once you are 

 accustomed. 



.\ knowledge of the Creeper's nesting iiabits wmild l)e quite unattainable 

 were the Ijird to choose the tree-tops; but witli characteristic humility it seeks 

 tile lower levels at the nesting season, so that one need not lof)k mucii alMjve 

 his iiead in searciiing for its nest. 



Tlie first one found w-as at tlie edge of the forest overlooking a wi^xlland 

 road near Tacoiiia. We came upon a i)air of the birds gleaning from tiic 

 neiglil)oring trees and calling encouragement to each other as they proceeded. 

 We were not long in divining their local attachments: and linally. after several 

 feints, the niotiier bird flew to an isolated tree at the very edge of liie woods, 

 wliere investigation <lisclosed a jiiece of bark warped an<l sjirung i)y fire. 



Jaktn .I.Mr 7jc.-'mj. /•/:.l. t> /J,:;./Vj ,n:d /'.j-..j-n. 

 TAWNY CKKKI'KR AIM'RO.\Cni.\C. NEST. 



TIIK UuTIICr's BKAK IS LADCN WITH GOOD THINUS. 



