COMMON CREEPER. 15.9 



The little Common Creeper, with the Wren, the Golden 

 Crests, and the Chiff Chaffs, are among the smallest of our 

 British Birds; and the first of these, the subject of the pre- 

 sent article, though rather numerous as a species, is not very 

 readily distinguishable in its natural haunts when climbing 

 the trunks and branches of trees, partly from the small size 

 and brown colour of the bird itself, and partly from its habit, 

 when approached, of shifting round to the opposite side of 

 the stem, like the Woodpeckers. The little Creeper, aided 

 by its long, curved, and sharp claws, and assisted also by 

 twelve rather elongated and stiff tail-feathers, is an excellent 

 climber, running rapidly in any direction over the rough bark, 

 searching for small insects of all sorts, picking them out of 

 the various crevices with its slender beak, and having traced 

 its course over one tree, takes flight to the next for the same 

 purpose, generally beginning low down towards the base of 

 the tree. This bird inhabits groves, plantations, and parks, 

 appearing to be partial to the examination, in rapid succes- 

 sion, of a number of trees planted near each other, as when 

 forming an avenue. 



The Creeper makes its nest in a hollow tree, generally for 

 security choosing one with a very small external aperture, 

 but sometimes forming its nest on the inner side of the loose 

 bark of a decayed tree : the vignette at the end exhibits an 

 instance of a nest of this latter sort, for the opportunity of 

 figuring which I am indebted to the kindness of T. F. Ro- 

 binson, Esq. of Havering Atte* Bowei-, Essex : the nest was 

 taken on the estate attached to the Bower House. It is sup- 

 ported on the inner surface of a thick piece of the bark of an 

 elm which has been detached from the tree, and thus affords the 

 view of the nest here given. The nest itself is formed on the 

 outer surface with small twigs, within which there is a thick 

 layer of fine grass mixed up and lined with black wool, and a 



* ? Haverinir Alte — from its lugh and commandino; situation. 



