330 POULTRY AND WILD BIRDS 
74S Rock Wren. M. 722 Winter Wren. W.V. 
719 Bewick Wren. S.R. 724 Short-billed Marsh Wren. S.R. 
721b Western House Wren. Com- 725 Long-billed Marsh Wren. S.R. 
mon S.R. 
Creeper Family. — Only one American species belongs to this family. 
726 Brown Creeper. Length 53 inches. 
A very interesting little bird with mottled brown back, white under 
parts, a long tail with stiff pointed feathers, and a slender, distinctly 
— curved bill. If you meet 
him, you will recognize him 
easily, for he will be very 
busy in climbing a tree, 
using his tail to assist as 
woodpeckers do. When 
the top is reached he sud- 
denly drops to the bottom 
of the same or another 
Brown CREEPER tree and patiently repeats 
the process. He generally 
makes the ascent by going around the tree in a spiral. Needless to 
say he is searching for insects, eggs, and grubs in the crevices of the 
bark and as he succeeds in supporting himself that way it is evident 
that he knows his business. You are most likely to see him in spring 
or fall. M. and occasionally P.R. 
Nuthatch and Chickadee Family. — These are hardy little birds with 
a nasal voice that make their living by gleaning insects from the trunks 
and branches of trees and bushes. 
727 White-breasted Nuthatch. Length 6 inches. 
Easily identified by its habit of running up and down the trunks of 
trees, searching for grubs and insect eggs hidden under the bark. His 
tail is short and square and does not assist in climbing as in case of the 
Brown Creeper and the Woodpeckers. His nasal yank, yank often tells 
us of his presence before we see him. General color ashy blue; cap and 
neck almost black; whitish below. S.R. and P.R. 
728 Red-breasted Nuthatch. Length 43 inches. 
Similar to the preceding but smaller. Throat white, rest of under 
parts brownish red; black and white stripes on the head. M. and S.R. 
