238 THE WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 



No. 103. 



WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 



A. O. U. No. 727. Sitta carolinensis Lath. 



Description. — Adult male: Top of head, nape, and front of back shining 

 black, with a slight greenish reflection; remaining upper parts ashy-blue; outer 

 wing-quills fuscous, the second and three or four succeeding primaries narrowly 

 touched with white on outer web in retreating order; inner quills and coverts with 

 much black centering ; tail-feathers, except upper pair, black, the outer pairs 

 squarely blotched with white in subterminal to terminal order; sides of head, and 

 neck well up, and under parts white with a faint bluish tinge; distinctly marked. 

 or washed more or less, on flanks and crissum with rusty brown; bill stout, sub- 

 ulate, the under mandible slightly recurved, — blackish plumbeous above, lighter 

 at base of lower mandible; feet dark brown; iris brown. Adult female: Similar 

 to male, but black of head and back more or less veiled by color of back. Length 

 5.50-6.10 ( 139.7-154.9) ; average of six Columbus specimens: wing 3.60 (91.4) ; 

 tail r.91 (4< s -5) ; bill .68 1 17.3). 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler to Sparrow size; tree-creeping habits; black 

 and ashy-blue above; white below. 



Nest, a deserted Woodpecker hole, or newly-made cavity in stump or tree, 

 usually at a considerable distance from the ground, and lined with leaves, feathers, 

 or hair. Eggs, 5-8, sometimes 9 or even 10, white, thickly speckled and spotted 

 with reddish brown and lavender. Average size, .76 x .56 1 19.3 x [4.2 1. 



General Range. — Eastern United States from Georgia north to the southern 

 British Provinces, and west to the rocky Mountain-. Non-migratory. 



Range in Ohio. — < >f universal distribution. 



Who-ezv'-o'-o°-o'-o'-o° -0-0-0-0 goes the Screech Owl in broad daylight. 

 There is an instant hush in the dull gray woods — a hush followed by an ex- 

 cited murmur of inquiry among the scattered members of a winter bird troop. 

 If you happen to be the Screech Owd, seated motionless at the base of some 

 large tree and half recessed in its spreading roots, perhaps the first intimation 

 you will have that the search party is on your trail will be the click, click, click 

 of tiny claws on the tree-bole above your head, followed by a quank of interro- 

 gation, almost comical for its mixture of baffled anxiety and dawning suspi- 

 cion of the truth. I le is an inquisitive fellow, this Nuthatch, for, you see, pry- 

 ing is his business ; but he is brave as well. The chances are that he will ven- 

 ture down within a foot or two of your face before he flutters off with a loud. 

 outcry of alarm. When excited, as when regarding a suspicious object, he has 

 an odd fashion of rapidly right-and-left facing on a horizontal bough, as tho 

 to try both eyes on you and lose no time in between. 



Nuthatch is the acknowledged acrobat of the woods— not that he acts for 

 display; it is all business with him. A tree is a complete gymnasium in itself. 



