64 INSESSORES. 



it may be seen sometimes picking in the decayed 

 shingles for insects. As though aware of its useful- 

 ness, it confidingly trusts in the protection of man, 

 which indeed should always be afforded it, as its 

 busy, active life is almost constantly devoted to his 

 service, in the destruction of myriads of hurtful in- 

 sects and their larvae. Its note is a low chirp, which 

 it occasionally utters as it runs up and down the 

 trunks of the trees in search of food. It is extremely 

 nimble when so engaged, moving with great facility 

 sideways or head downwards, in which position it 

 will sometimes stop and gaze with a peculiarly quaint 

 expression at the bystander for some time, although 

 he may be within a few paces of the tree, and then 

 with a sudden jerk of its wings, off it goes to an ad- 

 joining tree. During summer they retire to the 

 woods, where they dig out a small hole in some de- 

 cayed tree with their long sharp bills, at the bottom 

 of which the female lays her eggs. There are three 

 other species of this family in the United States, all 

 of them active and pretty little creatures. The Brown- 

 headed Nuthatch is quite abundant in the South, 

 where it is a constant resident, but is seldom found 

 north of the State of Maryland ; while the Red-bel- 

 lied Nuthatch occupies the eastern and northern dis- 

 tricts; its occurrence south of Pennsylvania is rare. 

 The latter is quite as abundant in the mountainous 

 parts of Pennsylvania as the White-breasted species. 

 Of the California Nuthatch but little is known, but 

 as its name implies, it is an inhabitant of Upper Cali- 

 fornia. 



