WINTER COMRADES 141 



the habit of placing a nut in a cranny or crevice 

 of the bark and hatching it, i. e.y breaking it by 

 striking with the bill, a process I have never 

 witnessed. We have four varieties of this family 

 in eastern North America, two of which are 

 common. 



White-breasted Nuthatch. This attractive 

 bird is more often seen in the open during the 

 fall and winter when he is common in parks, 

 along the roadside, and about the farm, always 

 on a tree. He, too, is social when not nesting, 

 and is seen in company with Chickadees, King- 

 lets and Creepers, his presence made known by 

 a nasal ''yank, yank, yank,^^ a peculiar and 

 highly interesting sound, wholly unlike the 

 notes of any other variety. This is the largest 

 of our Nuthatches, slightly more than six inches 

 long. Its distinct colors are rather attractive. 

 The back is a fine slate blue, the top of the head 

 and upper neck black; the dark slate wings are 

 edged with black. The sides of the head and 

 under parts are white with white markings on 

 wings and tail. 



They have long pointed bills, well suited for 

 the careful inspection of the crevices of the 

 rough bark where they find their food, worms, 

 grubs, spiders, ants, beetles, and the eggs and 

 larvae of tree-infesting insects. Thus it will be 

 seen that these little "circus birds" are very 

 helpful to man, for they assist him in preserving 

 his trees, whether of forest, orchard or lawn. 

 They are always willing workers and never 

 strike for higher pay. Does it not seem rather 

 strange that man has not risen to a higher ap- 



