THE EUROPEAN NUT-HATCH. 131 



of moving to the mouth by attraction, as a small particle of iron fliea 

 fco a magnet. The bill was rarelj used, except to remove the mould 

 in order to get more readily at the insects. Where the earth was 

 hollow, the tongue was thrust into the cavities, in order to rouse the 

 Ants: for this purpose the horny extremity is very serviceable, as a 

 guide to it into the interior. 



The Wryneck is a solitary bird, never being seen in any other 

 society than that of its own mate : and even this is only transitory ; fo, 

 as soon as the domestic union is dissolved, which is in the month oi 

 September, each retires and migrates by itself, and does not return till 

 the ensuing spring. The voice of these birds is very much like that 

 of the smaller species of Hawks. They also sometimes make a noise 

 like a Grasshopper. 



OF THE NUT-HATCH TRIBE IN GENERAL. 



The characters of this tribe are, a bill for the most part straight, 

 having, on the lower mandible, a small angle : small nostrils, covered 

 with bristles: a short tongue, horny at the end and jagged : toes placed 

 three forward and one backward ; the middle toe joined closely at the 

 base to both the outer ; and the back toe as large as the middle one. 



In the habits and manners of the different species of Nut-hatch, we 

 observe a very close alliance to the Wood-peckers, Most of them feed 

 on insects ; and some on nuts, whence their appellation has been acquired* 



THE EUROPEAN NUT-HATCH. 



The length of this bird is five inches and three-quarters. The bill 

 is strong and straight, about three-quarters of 

 an inch long; the upper mandible is black,, 

 and the lower white. All the upper parts of 

 the body are of a bluish gray : the cheek» 

 and chin are white ; the breast and belly pale- 

 orange color ; and the quills dusky. The tail 

 is short ; and consists of twelve feathers, the- 

 two middle ones of which are gray, the two 

 outer spotted with white, and the rest dusky. 

 The legs are pale yellow ; the claws are large, and the back one very 

 strong. 



The Nut-hatch, the Squirrel, and the Field-mouse, which all live 

 much on hazel-nuts, have each a curious way of getting at the kernel. 

 Of the two latter, the Squirrel after rasping off the small end, splits 

 the shell in two with his long fore-teeth, as a man does with his knife ; 

 the Field-mouse nibbles a hole with his teeth, as regular as if it were 

 drilled with a whimble, and yet so small that one would wonder how 

 the kernel could be extracted through it ; while the Nut-hatch picks 

 an irregular ragged hole with his bill ; but, as he has no paws to hold 

 the nut firm while he pierces it, he, like an adroit workman, fixes it, 

 as it were in a vice, in some cleft of a tree, or in some crevice ; when, 

 9 



NMT HATCH. 



