BROWN CREEPER. 227 



CitRTHIA PAMILIAKIS L 

 liro'wn Creeper. 



Cerlhia familiaris, Kirtlanu, Ohio Geolog. Surv , lH3d, lUi. — Read, Proe. Philad, Acad. 

 Nat. 8ci., vi, 18.'>;3, 895. — Whbaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874 

 (I'i/S), 563; Rf-jiriTit, 3.— Langdon, Cut. Birds of Cin., 1877, 4. 



Cerihia amencana, Wheaton, Ohio Agiiu. Rep for 1860 (1861), 365 ; Ropiint, 7. 



Certhia familiaris var. americana, Lakgdon, Rev. List, Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist , i, 1879, 

 170; Reprint, 4, 



Cerihia famitiaris, Linnaeus, SyBt. Nat., i, 17.58, 118. 



Certhia americana, Bonap. Geog. and Uomp. List, 1838, 11. 



Cerihia familiaris var. americana, Ridgway, Bull. E-iS. Inst., v,- 1873, 160. 



Plumage above singularly barred with dusky, whitish, tawiiy, or fulvous brown, and 

 bright brown — latter chiefly on the rnujp ; below, whi e, either pure or soiled, and gen- 

 erally brownish washed behind ; wings dusky, oddly varied with tawny or whitish bars 

 andHpots; tail plain; about SJ; wing and tail about if. 



Hahitat, temperate North Ameiica, in wooded regions. 



Common migrant and winter resident; most abundant during its 

 migrations in April and October. This curious bird seems to mimic in 

 its mottled dull colors the bark of the forest trees on which it secures its 

 food. In the proper season it ma}' be seen in the company of Titmice, 

 Nuthatches, and Woodpeckers, creeping up and around the trunks of 

 trees, seldom upon the branches. Its progress is always upward or cir- 

 cling, like that of the Woodpecker, with which i- is brought in close af- 

 finity by its stiffened tail. It {a an active, restless bird, and while climb- 

 ing often repeats a peculiar, monotonous note, which bears some resem- 

 blance to that of the Kinglets. At their breeding places Mr. William 

 Brew&ter has discovered that " their notes are varied and warbling, and 

 somewhat confused; some of them are loud, powerful, and surpassingly 

 sweet, others are more feeble and plaintive. Their song usually ends 

 with their accustomed cry, which may be represented by cree cree-cre-ep." 



During its stay with us, it often visits the city in company with its 

 creeping cousins, the Nuthatches. At such times it shares with these 

 birds that fearlessness of man, characteristic of many of our small birds 

 that attend strictly to their own affairs. 



The Creeper breeds north of the limits of this State, doubtfully in 

 Northeastern Ohio. It selects for its nesting place a natural cavity in 

 or on a tree, or a deserted Woodpecker's nest, which it lines with grasses 

 lichens and feathers. The compliment of eggs is said to vary from five 

 to nine. They are white, rather sparsely sprinkled with reddish brown 

 dots, and measure .55 by .44 inch. 



Some ornithologists claim a constant difference between the Ameri- 

 can and European Creeper, which accounts for the difierent synonyms 

 given above. 



