Page:Bird-lore Vol 04.djvu/178

 How to Name the Birds 157

lVIockers the tail is also important in gesture, the white markings on the tail of the latter being conspicuously displayed by a spreading of the feathers. Both \Nrens and Thrashers inhabit the lower growth, the former being more secretive than the latter.

Sang.—Wrens and Thrashers are distinguished among birds for their powers of song. Our Mockingbird is probably unexcelled as a songster by other members of his genus, but there are numerous species of l\/Iocking‘ birds. one ranging as far south as Patagonia, which sing equally well, while some of the southern Thrashers and Wrens even exceed ours in musir cal ability.

FAMILY 15. CREEPERS. Ctr‘l/Iiir/IP.

Range.—Of the dozen or more species included in this family only one, the Brown Creeper, reaches the New World, the others being distributed over the larger part of the eastern hemispherer

Sacram—Tbe Brown Creeper nests from northern New England north— ward, and in the western United States his racial representatives all extend south along the Rocky mountains to southern Mexico. In the east it migrates southward late in September and re- turns about May I, win- tering from northern New England to the Gulf States.

Cﬂlﬂr.—Wltll the ex— ception of the European Wall Creeper, which has rose markings in the wings, the Creepers are dull, neutralvtinted birds, the streaked brown of our species bringing it into close harmony in color with [he bark of trees mum's CKEEPER, Famxlylirrlhmll which it frequents. (One-third Mimi si/cl

External Strudure.—Tl1e slender, curved bill and especially the stif- fened, pointed tail-feathers are the most noticeable characteristics of our Creeper, but the latter feature is not shared by all the members of the family, some of which have soft, rounded tail-feathers,