26 THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 



occupied in hammering nuts with repeated bk)ws, or 

 tapping dead boughs in order to ahirm the harl)ouring 

 insects. An interesting departure from the usual 

 habits of the Nuthatch has come under nn" notice, a 

 pair of these birds nesting year after year in an old 

 " cob wall," i.e. a wall built of mud mixed with stone 

 and straw. Most of the old walls and cottages in 

 this part of Devon were built of this material laid 

 in layers ; and our Nuthatches resort year after 

 year to the same unusual nesting place, the 

 female depositing her eggs on a nest lining of 

 dead leaves. A female Nuthatch, sent to the 

 Editor, from Kingskerswell, became exceedingly 

 familiar, and readily accepted bluebottle flies, 

 small moths and other insects from his 

 fingers during the summer months. This bird 

 was partial to canary seed, separating the 

 husks from the grain by deft strokes of her 

 long bill. 



Family Troglodytid^^]:. 

 WREN. — TrogJochjtcs parvuhis, Koch. 



A RESIDENT, common everywhere, in our gardens, 

 woodlands and even by the seashore ; more often 

 heard than seen, from its liquid song, noisy chatter 

 and skulking habits ; at home everywhere, and 

 always the same vivacious, fussy little bird. Bellamy 

 states that two white Wrens and their three white 

 young ones were procured at Langdon, in 1837 

 (Nat. Hist, of Devon p. 206). 



