122 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 





bird to the majority of English people, though it is really quite 

 a common bird in most of our counties. Its single not 

 wheest, is somewhat ventriloquial, and the bird cannot always 

 be detected by the sound. If once the note be recognisec 

 however, it is not long before the bird can be discovei 

 as it pursues a course along a tree or branch, and then flit 

 down to a lower level, though even then it may escape obi- 

 vation, owing to its small size and sober colouring. It runs uj 

 the trees in the manner of a tiny Woodpecker, but its wi 

 bill is not capable of hammering at the bark like the last 

 named bird, or of prising off a large piece, as the Nuthatc 

 can do. Its food consists of tiny insects, and spiders consti 

 tute a large portion of its prey, in pursuit of which the bir 

 climbs most actively, sometimes running up the trunk to the 

 top of the tree or turning aside to follow the course of soi 

 large branch, examining both the upper and under sides 

 the latter, but always steadily pursuing its course towai 

 the end of the bough. In many of its movements it is ver 

 like a Tit, but it is never seen to turn back or move with 

 head downwards, as a Nuthatch or a Woodpecker will 

 Both male and female are very assiduous in the care of the 

 young, but the latter are very noisy, and often lead to the dii 

 covery of the well-concealed nest, by the squeaking that th< 

 make on the arrival of the parent- birds with food. 

 Creeper has been credited with a song, and some observe 

 have recorded the fact in this country. Although we 

 been acquainted with the species from boyhood, we have neve 

 heard a Tree-Creeper sing in England, though the continent 

 birds undoubtedly do sing, and we remember once hearing 

 bird in France, which had a remarkably loud song, like that 

 a Tit. So convinced were we that it was a Tit which 

 singing, that we looked everywhere in the upper branches 

 the tree for the songster, and at last caught sight of it- 

 Creeper clinging to the trunk only a few yards off from wht 

 we stood, and singing vigorously a song which we never hear 

 our English bird give way to. So there may be something 

 the belief that the Creeper of the continent of Europe is nc 

 quite the same as our British bird. 



Nest. Placed in a hole in a tree or behind the beam of 

 shed, often behind a crevice in the bark of a tree, but alwaj 



