136 THE RED CREEPER. 



1 suspect that this is the bird which Mr. St. John, in his Letters ci 

 *n American farmer, has called a Wren, and of which he records th 

 following story. Three birds had built their nests almost contiguous 

 to each other. A Swallow had affixed hers in the corner of a piazza 

 next his house; a bird which he calls a Phebe in the other corner-, 

 and a Wren possessed a little box, which he had made on purpose, 

 and hung between. These were all quite tame. The Wren haa for 

 Home time, shown signs of dislike to the box which had been given 

 tc it, though it was not known on what account. At length, how- 

 erer, small as it was, it resolved to drive the Swallow from its habita- 

 tion; and, astonishing to say, it succeeded. "Impudence." says Mr. 

 St. John, "gets the better of modesty; and this exploit was no sooner 

 performed, than the Wren removed every material to its own box, 

 with the most admirable dexterity. The signs of triumph appeared 

 very visible ; it fluttered its wings with uncommon velocity ; and an 

 universal joy was preceptible in all its movements. The peaceable 

 Swallow, like the passive Quaker, meekly sat at a small distance, and 

 never offered the least opposition. But no sooner was the plunder 

 carried away, than the injured bird went to work with unabated 

 ardor, and in a few days the depredations were repaired." Mr. St. 

 John, to prevent any repetition of the same violence, removed the 

 Wren's box to another part of the house. 



The Creeper hatches twice during the summer, and has generally 

 from eighteen to twenty eggs at a time. 



The Alpine Creeper is principally of an ash-grey tint; the quills are 

 decorated with white or yellow spots, and the tail feathers are bordered 

 with white. "This bird," writes Jerdon, "is found throughout the 

 Himalayas. It looks very beautiful when flitting about, the fine red on its 

 wings fully displayed, and, indeed, has more the appearance of a butter- 

 fly than a bird. This species has no call-note. In Europe it descends 

 from the Alps, and is found on walls of old buildings, whence the name, 

 given by Linnseus. It is stated to breed in clefts and holes of rocks 

 and in old buildings. The eggs we are told are of a fine bright red." 



THE RED CREEPER. 



This diminutive inhabitant of New Spain, smaller than even the 

 last-mentioned species, I mention merely for the purpose of descri 

 bing its nest; which, differing, in this respect, from those of most of 

 the other species of Creepers, is pensile. 



The nest is formed not unlike a chemist's retort placed with the 

 mouth downward, through which the bird ascends to its offspring in 

 the bulb at the top. Its length is fourteen or sixteen inches; and it 

 is suspended to the most extreme and tender branches of the trees, 

 by means of a kind of woven work, of similar materials to the exte- 

 rior of the nest. In the broadest part of the bulb, it measures about 

 six inches in diameter. Within it is lined with soft and downy 

 materials, to guard the bodies of the tender young-ones from injury 

 and it is altogether so very light, as to be driven about by the mos 

 gentle breeze. 



