THE OOLOGIST. 176") 



There were five young of nearly a week 

 in the nest, which was of dead leaves, 

 moss and hemlock twigs, lined with 

 rootlets 



Retiring a short distance I watched 

 the old birds. They ran about, up and 

 down before the nest, teetering all the 

 time and drawing nearer to the nest 

 each time until suddenly the female 

 flew to the nest, staying but a moment 

 then joined her mate again. After a 

 little she flew to the nest again staying 

 but a moment as before. Then both 

 birds flew up and around me going 

 down the stream. 



On up the gully I saw another bird 

 and soon found another nest, situated 

 like the other in a little hole in the 

 bank. It contained three eggs and two 

 young just out of the shell. Going up 

 stream about 40 feel I sat down to 

 await developments. The female soon 

 returned to the nest and the male came 

 around near me. He had a worm in 

 his bill and suddenly he flew to the 

 nest but away again almost instantly, 

 then after a little he flew to the nest 

 again where he remained for some 

 time. He stood on the edge of the nest 

 poking his bill into the female's mouth, 

 then glancing at me and teetering all 

 of the time. After leaving the nest he 

 flew to the ground quite close to me 

 and then away he went after another 

 choice morsel for his mate. 



I found another nest June 2d which 

 was under a little ledge formed by 

 some roots and dead leaves beside a 

 very small bush on the gully bank onyl 

 three feet from the running water. 

 The nest contained five fresh eggs and 

 the female acted much as the others did. 



About a week after this I was in a 

 large swampy wood and Water-Thrush- 

 es were real common. We met several 

 families. The young ones were just 

 learning to fly and were closely watch- 

 ed by the old birds. 



Verdi Burtch, 

 Penn Yan, N. Y. 



The Brown Creeper. 



Certhia familiaris americana, Ridgw. 



It always afforded me great pleasure 

 while rambling in early spring through 

 the woods to observe one of o'ur liveli- 

 est little Creepers start at the foot of a 

 large tree and run in zigzag lines to al- 

 most the ^top of the tree. If he sees 

 that he is observed he keeps on the off 

 side of the tree instead of running up in 

 spiral form, all the time scrutinizingly 

 searching in the cracks of the bark for 

 the tiny eggs of insects on "which he 

 lives. The strong tail feathers, similar 

 to those of the Woodpecker, support 

 his weight and the slightly curved and 

 very tender but extremely sharp bill 

 makes it easy for him to secure his 

 prey. The bill, however, is not strong 

 enough, as is that of the Woodpecker, 

 to tear away the bark and chop holes in 

 it to get at the worms, the borers and 

 larva of the insects. While going over 

 the different trees in search of food I 

 hear him utter: "Zri, zri, zrV or "az^, 

 sit, sit." These notes are only heard 

 during the mating season 



The Brown Creeper is an expert 

 climber and always watchful, search- 

 ing every tree in his district from morn 

 to night for food. On arriving at the 

 top of a tree he invariably flies down to 

 the next tree near the ground to repeat 

 his upward search. 



It seemed very difficult for me to find 

 the nest and I also was in doubt wheth- 

 er the Brown Creeper breeds in this lo- 

 cality. In the first week in May, 1899, 

 I was fortunate enough, by watching 

 a pair of Brown Creepers in the Tona- 

 wanda Swamp, to see one step into a 

 loop formed by the bark of an elm 

 stump about 15 feet from the ground. . 

 I saw that the birds had started build- 

 ing the nest, but both being diligently 

 in search of nesting material, I con- 

 cluded not to climb to the nest but to 

 wait a week and I was rewarded. A 

 week later I found the male near the 



