114 BIRDS OF MIDDLESEX. 



Family CERTHIAD^. 



COMMON CREEPER, Certhia familiaris. Resident 

 throughout the year, although not very abundant. 



I have always thought the Creeper an unusually 

 silent bird, and more particularly so in the winter, 

 when I have never heard it utter any note. Its 

 summer note is very low and monotonous. I have 

 frequently approached within a few paces of a 

 Creeper as it commenced ascending a tree, be- 

 ginning at the height of about two feet from the 

 ground ; and although this bird has the stiff-pointed 

 tail-feathers which are conspicuous in the Wood- 

 peckers, I never observed that it stiffened them and 

 made use of them in any way as a prop while 

 climbing. On the contrary, whenever I have been 

 close enough to see the tail distinctly, I have noticed 

 that it dragged behind like that of a mouse. This 

 bird, like the last-named, builds in holes, and lays 

 five or six small eggs, white spotted with light red. 

 Its eggs may generally be distinguished from those 

 of the Tits by being more pointed at the smaller 

 end, and in having their spots chiefly in a cluster at 

 the large end. 



WREN, Troglodytes vulgaris. Common everywhere. 

 Its song, which is wonderfully loud for so small a 

 bird, is frequently uttered on the wing while it 

 flies from one hedgerow to another ; and besides its 

 ordinary song, it has a curious note of fear, which 



