158 



Bird- Lore 



Appearance and Habits. — The Creeper's distinguishing trait is made 

 known by its name. In ascending trees it uses the tail, as do the Wood- 

 peckers, for a prop or support; and we have here, therefore, an interesting 

 instance of the development of similar structure, among birds distantly re- 

 lated, as a result of similar habit. 

 Song. — The Brown Creeper's 

 usual note during the winter is a 

 faint seep. To the birds inhabit- 

 ing Maine is attributed a song ' ex- 

 quisitely pure and tender,' but the 

 song of those I heard in Mexico 

 was a decidedly mediocre, squeaky 

 performance. 



Family 16. Titmice and Nut- 

 hatches. Par id a. 



Range. — -As is the case with 

 most northern families of birds, the 

 Paridae have representatives in both 

 the New and Old Worlds. The 

 Titmice number some 75 species, 

 of which 19 are American, 7 of 

 these being found north of Mexico 

 and four of them east of the 

 Mississippi. 



The Nuthatches number some 

 20 species, only four of which 

 are American, all of these being 

 found from Mexico northward and 

 three of them east of the Missis- 

 sippi. 



Season. — Our Titmice and 

 Nuthatches are, as a rule, only 

 slightly but regularly migratory. 

 The Red-breasted Nuthatch, how- 

 ever, is an exception, coming to 

 us more or less irregularly from the 

 north early in September and re- 

 maining until April or May. 



Color. — Gray above and white 

 below is the prevailing type of col- 

 oration in this family; a color- 



