OUR WINTER VISITORS. 



51 



woodpecker climb a tree. He hitches his way up, a 

 jerk at a time, as if he were ascending the rounds of a 

 ladder. The nuthatch, on the other hand, uses his 

 legs as if they were arms, and swings himself into any 

 position, while the brown creeper corkscrews about a 

 tree like a little mouse, with his body pressed flat 

 against the bark. 



The brown creeper is less likely to be seen than 

 either of the other birds, not only because he is rarer, 

 but also on account of his protective coloring. His 

 brown body blends with the tree trunk, and unless 

 you see him move or catch a glimpse of his fluffy 

 brown and white speckled breast he might pass for an 

 excrescence on the bark. He usually begins at the 

 base of a tree, works his way rapidly upward in a 

 spiral, and then flies to another tree without losing a 

 moment. His long, arched, black bill works unerr- 

 ingly, while his stiff tail is clamped to the bark as 

 with a spring. It holds him like the spikes in the 

 lineman's boots, leaving his claws free to cling. 



Of all our winter birds the chickadee is probably 

 the most popular. He is abundant in the evergreen 

 woods and is a frequent visitor to those dooryards 

 where he has once found food. Although particu- 

 larly fond of sunflower seeds, the chickadees will eat 



