300 BRITISH BIRDS 



under the branch, perched horizontally or vertically, with head or 

 tail uppermost, but always with the body placed beetle-wise against 

 the bark, head raised, and the straight, sharp bill pointing like an 

 arm lifted to denote attention — at such times he looks less like a 

 living than a sculptured bird, a bird cut out of a beautifully varie- 

 gated marble — blue-grey, buff, and chestnut — and placed against 

 the tree to deceive the eye. The figure is so smooth and compact, 

 the tints so soft and stone-lilie ; and when he is still, he is so wonder- 

 fully still, and his attitude so statuesque ! But he is never long 

 still, and when he resumes his lively, eccentric, up-and-down and side- 

 way motions he is interesting in another way. One is not soon tired 

 of watching his perpetual mouse-like, independent-of-the-earth's- 

 gravity perambulations over the surface of the trunk and branches. 

 He is like a small woodpecker who has broken loose from the wood- 

 pecker's somewhat narrow laws of progression, preferring to be a 

 law unto himself. 



"Without a touch of brilliant colour, the nuthatch is a beautiful 

 bird on account of the pleasing softness and harmonious disposition 

 of his tints ; and, in lilie manner, without being a songster in the 

 strict sense of the word, his voice is so clear and far-reaching, and 

 of so pleasant a quality, that it often gives more life and spirit to 

 the woods and orchards and avenues he frequents than that of 

 many true melodists. This is more especially the case in the 

 month of March, before the migratory songsters have arrived, and 

 when he is most loquacious. A high-pitched, clear, ringing note, 

 repeated without variation several times, is his most often-heard 

 call or song. He will sometimes sit motionless on his perch, repeat- 

 ing this call at short intervals, for half an hour at a time. Another 

 bird at a distance will be doing the same, and the two appear to be 

 answering one another. He also has another call, not so loud and 

 piercing, but more melodious : a double note, repeated two or three 

 times, with something liquid and gurgling in the sound, suggesting 

 the musical sound of lapsing water. These various notes and 

 calls are heard incessantly until the young are hatched, when the 

 birds all at once become silent. 



A hole in the trunk or branch of a large tree is used as a nesting- 

 place, the entrance, if too large, being walled up with clay, only a small 

 opening to admit the bird being left. At the extremity of the hole 

 a bed of dry leaves is made. The eggs are five to seven in number, 

 white, and spotted with brownish red, sometimes with pm-ple. "When 

 the sitting-bird is interfered with she defends her treasures with 



