Description of an American Creeper. 105 



sylvania : yet they may breed in the most northern 

 district of the state. 



Their place of residence is in the woods, or high 

 forests, where we see them climbing up, and running 

 about, the trunks of large trees, searching the cre- 

 vices of the bark for spiders and other insects, which 

 constitute their food. And for this purpose, their 

 slender, crooked beak is well adapted. They utter a 

 feeble, chirping note. 



This species of Certhia has the form and habits of 

 the woodpecker, except in the position of its toes. 

 Neither is its bill, like that of the woodpecker, strong, 

 and shaped for the purpose of perforating wood. 



We know nothing, as yet, of the construction of 

 its nest, or its manner of breeding. 



Kingsess, December 21th, 1804. 



This species of Certhia appears to be nearly allied 

 to the Certhia familiaris of Linnecus ; Le Grimpereau 

 of BufFon; the European Creeper of Pennant. If so, 

 it is mentioned, by the last-named naturalist, as 

 a native of North- America, Russia, Siberia, and Swe- 

 den. I suspect, it is merely a variety of the Certhia 

 familiaris ; but, even as such, a description and figure 

 of it will not be unacceptable to the American lover 

 of natural history. 



VOL. I. PART II. 



