Creeper

in American ornithology, a small bird six inches long, with white under parts and upper parts of mixed colors, giving the general impression of brown. The brown creeper breeds from Maine and Minnesota northward, hiding its nest in a hole or behind a piece of loosened bark. It has a stiff tail which it uses, woodpecker-fashion, as a prop in climbing. It may be seen examining the bark of trees, an occupation well described by Chapman.

The patient, plodding brown creeper is searching for the insects, eggs, and larvae which are hidden in crevices in the bark; after watching him for several minutes one becomes impressed with the thought that he has lost the only thing in the world he ever cared for, and that his one object in life is to find it. Ignoring you completely, with scarcely a pause, he winds his way in a preoccupied, near-sighted manner up a tree trunk. Having finally reached the top of his spiral staircase, one might suppose he would rest long enough to survey his surroundings, but, like a bit of loosened bark, he drops off to the base of the nearest tree and resumes his never-ending task.