COMMON CREEPER. 71 



nearly sure to come upon it, running up the trunk of 

 some old forest tree in search of insects, more like a 

 mouse than a bird. 



The Creeper never descends a tree head downwards, 

 but always starts near the bottom and works his way 

 up, holding on with his sharp-pointed claws and keep- 



COMMON CREEPER. 



ing his tail, the feathers of which are strong and 

 pointed, pressed against the bark so that it may act 

 as a kind of prop to support his weight. When he 

 has arrived near the top he will drop down at the foot 

 of an adjacent tree and commence a fresh ascent. 

 The note of the Creeper is not pleasant to hear ; it 



