41 



tlie more regretted as tliej are so perfectly harmless and in 

 fact useful, for tliey cut tlie rotten parts out of the growing 

 timber, thus saving the rest. It seems to me that it would 

 be worth while for the head keeper of the Forest to do his 

 best to put a stop to this practice. • 



Certhia familiaris. 



Creeper. 



LOCAL NAMES. EGG OBSERVED. 



Tree Climher. April 28th, 1865. 



Tree Creeper. April 26th, 1866. 



May 20th, 1867. 



May 4th, 1868. 



May 1st, 1869. 

 1870. 



A very pretty quiet little bird, and very much the colour 

 of the bark of trees, and therefore not much noticed, 'though 

 it is a common enough species. It may be seen any day 

 by a careful observer, climbing up a tree in search of its 

 food, like a miniature woodpecker, which bird it resembles 

 in more than one particular. It is often stated that the 

 Creeper is of so timid a nature, that a blow with a stout 

 stick on the foot of the tree on which one of them happens 

 to be climbing, is sufficient to paralyze it with fear. But 

 though I have often tried the experiment, I never found it 

 to have that result. 



D 



