BLACK AND WHITE CREEPER. 3^ 



October. Sloane describes this bird as an inhabitant of the 

 West India islands, where it probably winters. It was first 

 figured by Edwards from a dried skin sent him by Mr 

 William Bartram, who gave it its present name. Succeeding 

 naturalists have classed it with the warblers, — a mistake 

 which I have endeavoured to rectify. 



The genus of creepers comprehends about thirty different 

 species, many of which are richly adorned with gorgeous 

 plumage; but, like their congenial tribe, the woodpeckers, 

 few of them excel in song ; their tongues seem better calcu- 

 lated for extracting noxious insects from the bark of trees 

 than for trilling out sprightly airs ; as the hardened hands of 

 the husbandman are better suited for clearing the forest or 

 guiding the plough than dancing among the keys of a forte- 

 piano. Which of the two is the more honourable and useful 

 employment is not difficult to determine. Let the farmer, 

 therefore, respect this little bird for its useful qualities, in 

 clearing his fruit and forest trees from destructive insects, 

 though it cannot serenade him with its song. 



The length of this species is five inches and a half ; extent, 

 seven and a half ; crown, white, bordered on each side with 

 a band of black, which is again bounded by a line of white 

 passing over each eye ; below this is a large spot of black 

 covering the ear-feathers ; chin and throat, black ; wings, the 

 same, crossed transversely by two bars of white ; breast and 

 back, streaked with black and white ; tail, upper and also 

 under coverts, black, edged and bordered with white ; belly, 

 white ; legs and feet, dirty yellow ; hind claw the longest, and 

 all very sharp pointed ; bill, a little compressed sidewise, 

 slightly curved, black above, paler below ; tongue, long, fine 

 pointed, and horny at the extremity. These last circum- 

 stances, joined to its manners, characterise it decisively as a 

 creeper. 



The female and young birds of the first year want the 

 black on the throat, having that part of a grayish white. 



