BIRDS OF KANSAS. 621 



like a flash at the first motion, and, as we moved on, would 

 skulk, hide, sing and chatter around us as at first. 



Their song commences with a rather harsh, creaking note, and 

 ends in a rattling twitter. It is full of energy, but not musical. 

 Their flights are short and fluttering, but when crossing an 

 opening, quick and direct. On account of their haunts, they 

 are local in their distribution, and more abundant than they 

 are generally reported to be. 



Their nests are sometimes built in a low, swampy bush, where 

 hidden in the grasses, but usually in the growing wild rice, 

 reeds and coarse grasses; they are rather compactly constructed 

 of leaves from the grasses, ingeniously woven in and around 

 the standing stalks; occasionally bits of moss or other soft sub- 

 stances are worked in; a globular nest, about five inches in di- 

 ameter, with a small round hole on the side for entrance, and 

 lined with feathers and soft, cotton-like substances from plants. 

 For some unaccountable reason the birds build many nests that 

 at the close of the season show no signs of having been occupied. 

 Eggs five to nine, . 65x.46; ground color ashy brown, but so 

 thickly sprinkled with chocolate brown that some specimens ap- 

 pear uniform; in form, oval. 



FAMILY CERTHIID^l. CREEPERS. 



"Primaries ten; first very short; less than half the second. Tail long, 

 wedge shaped, the feathers stiffened and acute. Bill slender, much compressed, 

 and curved. Outer lateral toe much longest; hind toe exceeding both the mid- 

 dle toe and the tarsus, which is scutellate anteriorly, and very short. Entire 

 basal joint of middle toe united to the lateral." 



GENUS CERTHIA 

 " Plumage soft and loose. Bill as long as head, not notched, compressed 

 all its lateral outlines decurved. Nostrils not overhung by feathers, linear, 

 with an incumbent thickened scale, as in Troglodytes. No rictal bristles, and 

 the loral and frontal feathers smooth, without bristly shafts. Tarsus scutellate 

 anteriorly, shorter than middle toe, which again is shorter than hind toe. All 

 claws very long, much curved and compressed; outer lateral toe much the 

 longer; basal joint of middle toe entirely adherent to adjacent ones. Wings 

 rather pointed, about equal to the tail, the feathers of which are much pointed, 

 with stiffened shafts. Primaries ten; nrst less than half the second." 



