Tree-Climbers. 175 
and may themselves fall a prey without affording any 
assistance. The missel-thrushes come to the orchard 
frequently after the nesting season is over and be- 
fore it commences. They do not seem in search 
of food, but alight on the trees as if to view their 
property. They are strong on the wing, and fly 
direct to their object: there is something decided, 
courageous, and, as one might say, manly in their 
character. 
The bark of some of the apple trees peels of itself 
—that is, the thin outer skin—and insects creep under 
these brown scales curled at the edges. If you sit 
down on the elm butt placed here as a seat and 
watch quietly, before long the little tree-climber will 
come. He flies to the trunk of the apple tree (other 
birds fly to the branches), and then proceeds to ascend 
it, going round it as he rises in a spiral. His claws 
cling tenaciously to the bark, his tail touches the tree, 
and seems to act as a support—like what I think the 
carpenters call a ‘knee’—and his head is thrown 
back so as to enable him to spy into every cranny he 
passes. After a few turns round the trunk he is off 
to another tree, to resume the same restless spiral 
ascent there ; and in a minute or so off again toa 
third ; for he never apparently examines one-half of 
the trunk, though, probably, his eyes, accustomed -to 
the work, see farther than we may imagine. The 
orchard is never long without a tree-climber: it 
seems a favourite resort of these birds. They have a 
