CERTHIAD.E. 



12; 



SUB-FAMILY V. 



SiTTIN.E. 



The Nuthatches. 



Gen. Charac. — Toes slender, with the outer toe shorter than the middle one, 

 and united at the base to the first joint, the inner toe shorter than the outer 

 one, and slicrhtlv united at the base. 



'0^ 





Fig. 49. — the European nuthatch. 



{Sitta Eiiropaea.) 



The Nutliatclies are found tlirougliout Europe 

 and North. America, and some species have been 

 met with in various parts of India and the adjacent 

 islands. They prefer forests and dense woods, 

 where they may be seen moving rapidly about on 

 the trunks of trees, running both upwards and 

 downwards in a spiral direction, or creeping round 

 the small branches, probing into the cracks, and 

 occasionally removing pieces of the bark in search 

 of spiders and insects. In severe weather they 

 sometimes approach the dwellings of man, when 

 they do not refuse to feed upon grain. The seeds 



