140 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



of another and the same process goes on, hour 

 by hour, day by day. He is the symbol of dogged 

 persistency, and there is nothing joyous or 

 pleasing about him, except the fine harmony 

 between the colors of his back and the bark of 

 the trees he frequents. So perfect is the protec- 

 tive coloring that but for his jerky movements, 

 he would usually remain undiscovered. 



The dark brown back is streaked with lighter 

 brown, the head and tail are light brown and 

 the under parts grayish white. The bill is long 

 and slightly curved. He is slightly less than six 

 inches long and rather slim. 



During the nesting season it is said they sing 

 a dainty little song of five or six notes, wild, 

 sweet and very tender, which I have not heard. 

 Their accustomed haunt in summer is ever- 

 green woods where there are stubs and dead 

 trees, behind the loose bark of which the nest is 

 placed. It is loosely made of twigs, bits of bark 

 and moss, and sometimes with spiders' cocoons. 

 The eggs, five to eight in number, are waxy 

 white with fine brown spots on the larger end. 

 They range in summer from Maine and Minne- 

 sota northward, farther south on the moun- 

 tains, and winter from Maine southward. 



Nuthatches. These birds are also creepers 

 and climbers, but they do not use the tail 

 feathers as a brace. Up and down they go, like 

 acrobats, now running along the under side of 

 a limb like a fly, now scrambling down the trunk, 

 head first, in feats that would put to shame the 

 most agile Woodpecker. These very active 

 little workers receive the name Nuthatch from 



