BIRDS AS CONSERVATORS OF THE FOREST. 255 



It is almost unnecessary to say of these birds that their food is made up of 

 precisely the same element as that of the titmice, but somewhat varied in the 

 proportions of each. Like them they eat a great many caterpillars, and the eggs 

 from which caterpillars would be hatched. Small beetles, ants and bugs are also 

 favorite food. Scales and "spittle insects" (Cercopidae) are some of the enemies 

 to trees of which they appear to be very fond. The particular species of these 

 last which they eat are probably those that feed upon the pine, as most of the 

 stomachs in which they were found were taken in a pine forest. Of the nut- 

 hatches Dr. Coues has said: "In their relation to man, these birds are heedless 

 and familiar, as if they trusted to his good will in return for the valuable services 

 they render him in destroying incalculable numbers of noxious insects — a confidence 

 too often abused by the vulgar and ignorant, who harbor against them the same 

 prejudice that exists against the sapsucker (Sphyrapicus), the innocent and 

 industrious nuthatches being supposed to injure trees, when the fact is they 

 spend the whole of their laborious lives in man's service."* 



The Brown Creeper (Certhia familiaris amertcana). 



This diminutive bird is one of the companions of the titmice in their winter 

 foraging parties, and appears to go with them merely for the sake of their 

 company, as its chance for food would evidently be better if alone. Like the 

 titmice, it gets its food upon trees, and eats practically the same things, but hunts 

 upon trunks of trees rather than on the branches. It almost invariably alights 

 upon the tree near the ground and then runs spirally upward, sometimes to near 

 the top, at others only half way or less, and then wings its way to another. 

 It is very much of a forest bird, where for the most part it feeds and nests, 

 but it will occasionally visit an orchard or park in the winter season. The 

 geographic range of the creeper corresponds in a general way with that of the 

 black-capped chickadee. 



It might be inferred from ordinary field observation that the food of this bird 

 would very closely resemble that of the titmice, as they hunt in the same places 

 and in nearly the same manner. This inference is confirmed by stomach exam- 

 ination, which shows that the food of the two birds is almost identical, and that 

 whatever may be said of the food of the titmice may also be said of that of the 

 creeper. The insects eaten are those which prey upon the foliage, flowers and 

 fruit of trees, as well as some that bore into the trunk or branches and do much 

 harm thereby. 



* Birds of the Colorado Valley, p. 133. 



