112 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



TREE' CREEPER. 



Certhia familiaris ; Grimpereau faviilier. 



Bill, dusky, long, slender, and curved downwards ; 

 throat and breast, whitish ; pale streak over the eye ; 

 wings, brown and barred ; back, dusky brown ; tail, 

 stiff and pointed. Length, about five inches. 



The Tree Creeper is a common bird in Ireland, and 

 its loud, piercing cry may be heard in most of our 

 woods, and is three or four times repeated. I have but 

 seldom heard the song, which has been syllabled by 

 Mr. C. B. Moffat as " ticka-tee, tee, tee, tee, tee, ticka, 

 ticka," and is usually uttered, he tells us, as the bird 

 pauses in its progress up a tree, and " holds its head 

 sideways in a languishing attitude." 



When the Creeper has thoroughly investigated a tree, 

 he drops down slantingly to the roots of another tree to 

 begin as before. This action of his, Mr. Hudson tells 

 us, is always accompanied with a little querulous note, 

 which seems to express disgust at the miserable harvest 

 he has gathered, or else satisfaction that there remains 

 yet another tree which may yield a better result. 



It is not much wonder that, failing a better repre- 

 sentative, this bird is often called the Woodpecker in 

 Ireland. Mr. Witchell describes the note as " a pro- 

 longed and plaintive 'syou.'" The adjective "piercing" 

 seems more appropriate in my opinion. 



It is a pretty sight to see the little Creeper running 

 mouse-like up a tree, passing to the far side, and peering 

 round cautiously to see if the intruder is still there. 



