WIIITE-BBEASTED NUTHATCH 75 



formances. Once a little chap standing look- 

 ing up at a tree trunk made a coquettish, bobby- 

 bow and scrape to liis mate(?) banging' head 

 down facing him, and she(?), with a superior 

 air, promptly flew around to the back of the tree. 

 But just at that moment a chipmunk, ' a rival 

 nutter,' apj^eared at the foot of the tree below 

 the coquetting Nuthatch, whereupon he in turn 

 gave a quick spread of wings and tail and beat 

 a retreat. They were j^layful, jolly little birds, 

 and when alone would often go chasseing up the 

 trees, chirruping softl}^ to themselves. 



In spite of the ingenuous ways of these charm- 

 ing foresters, there is a prejudice against them, 

 arising from their being confused with the Sap- 

 suckers, and they are persecuted by those who 

 owe them the most gratitude, for, as a matter of 

 fact, insects most destructive to the fruit-grower's 

 crops are among their favorite foods. The Nut- 

 hatch is, as Doctor Mearns denominates him, "an 

 eminently useful and industrious bird," for " he 

 devotes his entire existence to the occupation of 

 scrambling about upon the tree trunks, grubbing 

 out insects from their hiding-places under the 

 bark. At this commendable employment ... he 

 spends his days ; and when night comes, he 

 betakes himself to a hole in some tree, where, 

 weary with his day's toil, he sleeps tlie sleep of 

 the just till daybreak." Audubon observes that 

 he sleeps hanging head down. In describing the 



