THE WINTER BIRDS. 283 



New England States, but often enough to be an acquaint- 

 ance of the generality of observers. This bird, like the 

 Robin, has gained the enmity of that conscientious class 

 of people who cut down their fruit-trees that the boys 

 may not have the temptation set before them to break 

 the Eighth Commandment. The Red-headed Wood- 

 pecker seems to be in this respect more mischievous 

 even than the Robin, for he not only takes cherries, but 

 carries off the finest apples and feeds upon the Indian- 

 corn when in the milk. The question is often raised, 

 therefore, with regard to the usefulness of this bird ; and 

 it will be answered according as the person interro- 

 gated takes a view of its general utility in the econ- 

 omy of nature, or of its rnischievousness as a consumer 

 of fruit. Mr. George W. Rice, of West Newton, pre- 

 serves his cherry-trees for the exclusive benefit of the 

 Robins. If they do not take all the cherries, he has 

 what they leave ; but he considers the fruit more val- 

 uable for the benefit of the Robins than for any other 

 purpose. Perhaps, however, since all men are not so 

 wise, we should say, " Cut down all your fruit-trees and 

 imitate the generosity of those men whom we occasion- 

 ally hear of, who choose to -perform this sacrifice of their 

 own property rather than to shoot the boys." 



THE BROWN CREEPER. 



Another of the companions of the Chickadee is the 

 Brown Creeper, a bird of similar habits, often seen mov- 

 ing in a spiral direction around the trunks and branches 

 of trees, and when conscious of being observed, keeping 

 on the farther side of a branch, He is more frequently 

 seen in winter than in summer, when he is concealed by 

 the foliage. The different birds I have named as com- 

 panions of the Chickadee often assemble by seeming 



