214 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. 



of mould," snys Montagu, "with emmets and their eggs, was given to 

 ono of these birds confined in a cage; and ifc was curious to observo 

 the tongue darted forward and retracted with such velocity, and with 

 such unerring aim, that it never returned without an ant or an egg 

 adhering to it, not transfixed by the horny point, as some have 

 imagined, but retained by a peculiar tenacious moisture, by nature 

 provided for that purpose." The Wryneck oats otiier kinds of insects 

 besides ants, and has been known to feed upon elderberries. 



But little care is bestowed by the Wryneck on the construction of 

 its nest. It usually selects some hollow in an apple or other tree, 

 and having scraped together the mouldered wood, deposits its eggs 

 thereon. The eggs, from six to ten in number, are pure white. The 

 same spot is resorted to for several successive years. The young aro 

 hatched in about fourteen days, and are fed upon ants and caterpillars. 



The Wryneck has no song; his note resembles that of the Ilawk, 

 and is likened to the syllables 'gui, gui, gui.' 



THE CKEEPER, 



(Cerihia familiaris?) 



PLATE XVI. FIGURE III. 



THIS interesting little creature is plentiful in nearly all parts of the 

 European continent. In the British Isles it is generally distributed, 

 frequenting wooded districts, parks, and plantations. Although not 

 particularly shy, its colour so closely resembles the bark of the trees, 

 over which it climbs or creeps by means of its sharp curved claws, 

 that an observer has some difficulty in detecting its presence even 

 where it is abundant. The difficulty is increased by its habit of 

 running round to the opposite side of the trunk or branch as soon as 

 it is approached. It is far oftener heard than seen, as it emits at 

 every jerky movement of its body a shrill but feeble cry. Macgillivray 

 thus describes its ordinary course of action. "It alights at the bottom 

 of a tree, clinging to the bark with its claws, and without a moment's 

 delay begins to ascend, which it does by short starts, leaping forward 

 as it were, and supporting itself by pressing the tail against the bark. 

 In this manner it proceeds, diligently searching for insects, which it 

 picks out with the greatest dexterity." 



