USEFUL BIRDS 
13 
pecker, which is one of our most useful birds, is under 7 inches in 
length and has a scarlet band on the back of the head in the male — 
not on the crown. On account of its small size and difference of 
coloration, it need not be confused with the species under discussion. 
BROWN CREEPER. 
(Plate 2, Fig. 10.) 
This inconspicuous, active bird being with us throughout the 
entire year is to be ranked amongst our most useful assistants in 
keeping down injurious insects, for it eats many insects in hiber- 
nating stage in winter besides consuming large numbers of insect 
eggs which would otherwise hatch in the spring*. It appears to be 
always in motion in the daytime, ‘‘creeping’' over trunks and 
branches on the lookout for food. General color, brown more or 
less streaked with lighter colors ; white below ; about five and one- 
half inches long ; end of tail feathers stiff* and pressed ag'ainst bark 
of tree after the manner of woodpeckers. Bill slightly curved. 
MARSH HAWK (Female). 
(Plate 2, Fig. 11.) 
Alale and female quite diff'erent, l)oth in size and color. Adult 
male nineteen inches long, grayish above, the tail being barred with 
blackish ; feathers above at base of tail (upper tail coverts) con- 
spicuously Avhite ; breast, gray, fading* into wdiite on belly, where 
brownish markings are found. The adult female is twenty-tw^o 
inches long, dark broken al)Ove, marked on head and neck wdth 
reddish brown ; upper tail coverts as in male, conspicuously white ; 
tail darker brow*n, barred with reddish brown ; breast buff, the color 
fading on belly. Nests on the ground in marshes. This is pre- 
eminently a bird of the meadows and prairies, and is often seen 
skimming over the top of the marsh grass hunting its food, at which 
time the white of the upper tail coverts is conspicuous. It eats 
held mice, squirrels, rabbits, grasshoppers, frogs, reptiles, and occa- 
sionally small birds or poultry, but not often. The cvriter regards 
it as a useful bird to the agriculturist. Out of one hundred and 
twenty-four stomachs examined by the United States Department 
of Argiculture, seven contained poultry or game birds ; thirty-four 
contained other birds ; fifty-seven contained mice ; twenty-twm con- 
tained other mammals ; seven contained reptiles ; two contained 
frogs ; fourteen contained insects ; the contents of one w^ere un- 
determined, and eight were empty. Dr. B. H. Warren examined 
