122 CITIZEN BIRD 



with his precious home, but makes it in the wood of 

 the tree itself. You say, Rap, that you found one of 

 these nests — won't you tell us about it ? " 



" It was this way," said Rap. " I was up in a hick- 

 ory tree trying to look over into a Woodpecker's hole 

 that was in another tree, when I stepped on a stumpy 

 branch that was rotten and partly broke off ; and there, 

 inside, was a soft nest made of feathers, with four very 

 little birds in it. I was afraid they would fall out, 

 but there was enough of the branch left to hold them 

 in. While I was wondering what sort of birds they 

 were, the father and mother came running along a 

 branch above, and gave me a terrible scolding, so 

 pretty soon I slid down and left them. How they did 

 squeak I " and Rap laughed at the remembrance of it. 



" They have not very musical voices at best," said 

 the Doctor; ''even their spring song is a rather husky 

 performance." 



"Isn't that a Nuthatch now?" asked Nat. "There 

 — hanging to the end tassel of the big spruce ; and 

 a lot more above — do come and look, Olive." 



" No, Nattie, they are the Chickadees that father said, 

 a moment ago, you might mistake for Nuthatches." 



" Chickadee-dee-dee ! " said a bird, looking at the 

 children with one eye. 



The White-breasted Nuthatch 



Length about six inches. 



Upper parts grayish-blue. 



Top of head and back of neck black. 



Some black and white marks on wings and tail. 



Sides of face and whole breast white, turning rusty on belly. 



Bill strong, straight, sharp-pointed, two-thirds of an inch long. 



A Citizen of the eastern United States and Canada. 



A Tree Trapper. 



