(Sitia Europcea.) 



By C. F. DEUITT. 



r I IHIS small denizen of woods, gardens, and orchards, is a 

 — *- familiar object to most dwellers in the country. In 

 some respects it resembles a woodpecker, for wh.icli it is often 

 mistaken bj those who see it for the first time. It is, 

 however, a bird of essentially different character, habit, and 

 structure, and has the advantage of being much more 

 common, particularly in the south-east and central counties 

 of England, It is not known to have occurred in Ireland. 



The nuthatch usually first reveals its presence by its shrill, 

 bubbling and joyous twitter, which is constantly repeated as 

 it traverses by a series of quick jerks the rough bark of some 

 neighbouring tree. 



This note, which may be represented as " whit, whit," 

 having once been heard and appreciated cannot possibly be 

 afterwards mistaken for that of any other bird. It is a 

 sturdy, well-built, muscular little fellow, easily attracting the 

 attention of the ordinary observer, and will, moreover, gener- 

 ally admit of pretty close inspection. Its plumage is of a 

 bluish-grey colour, covering the back, neck, and top of the 

 head. The breast and under plumage are of a dull orange 

 red, the cheeks and throat white, with a streak of black run- 

 ning through the eye. The tail is short, and is not used to 



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