694 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ZOOLOGY, VOL. IX. 



winter resident in Illinois and southern Wisconsin and a regular 

 summer resident in northern Wisconsin. 



There is a record of a pair breeding on an island in the Mississippi 

 River a few miles below Davenport, Iowa (Wilson, Wilson Bull., 1906, 

 p. 10), and Mr. John F. Ferry observed a bird of this species at Olive 

 Branch, Alexander County, Illinois, August 10, 1907. 



Mr. A. W. Butler records two sets of eggs taken in Steuben County, 

 northern Indiana, by Mr. R. W. McBride .(Birds of Indiana, 1897, 

 p. 1129). 



Dr. Hoy gives it as common throughout the year in Wisconsin. 

 Mr. John F. Ferry found a brood of four partly grown birds near 

 Woodruff, Vilas County, June 27, 1908. Messrs. Kumlien and Hoi- 

 lister give it as a summer resident in northern Wisconsin and say: 

 " J. N. Clark observed a pair of creepers feeding a young cowbird just 

 from the nest at Meridian in late June, 1897." (Birds of Wisconsin, 

 1903, p. 124.) 



The nest is of feathers, moss, and plant down, in a crevice usually 

 behind loose bark on a dead tree in woods. The eggs are 6 to 9, 

 white, speckled and spotted chiefly at the larger end with brown, and 

 measure about .60 x .47 inches. 



Family SITTID^. Nuthatches. 



There are about 20 known species belonging to this family, but. 

 only three are found in eastern North America. They are wood birds 

 and may be seen climbing about the trunks of trees, much in the 

 manner of a woodpecker or the little Brown Creeper, but unlike 

 either of them, it 'climbs equally well down the trunk as up while 

 searching for its food, neither does it use its tail for support like the 

 others. The food consists of insects, larvae, and nuts, chiefly beech 

 nuts. The nests are built in holes in trees. 



Genus SITTA Linnaeus. 



349. Sitta carolinensis LATH. 

 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 



Distr.: Eastern North America, west to the Plains, and from the 

 Gulf coast north to Labrador, northern Quebec, and Keewatin; breeds 

 nearly throughout its range. 



