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habits, keeping two certain favourite trees, which are visited regularly 

 at about the same time every day. 



Although they climb trees and get their food by tapping the bark 

 in the same way as wood-peckers, they have no connection with that 

 family. From their climbing habits they have grown particularly 

 large, powerful feet ; and have stout straight bills, short tails, and 

 pointed wings. 



Nuthatches nest in holes of trees and have the curious habit of 

 reducing the size of the entrance by plastering it up with mud, 

 leaving only a small round hole to go in by. They lay white eggs 

 spotted withred, quite different from the pure white glossy eggs 

 of the woodp eckers. Out of the eleven species described from India 

 and Burma, s even have been recorded from the latter Province. 



THE BURMESE NUTHATCH. 



Is the commonest, and is found in all well-wooded parts of the 

 country. A bluish-backed bird, about five-and-a-half inches in length 

 with lower plumage chestnut. Its place in the hills above 5,ooo ft. 

 being taken by Austen's Nuthatch (S. nagasnsis.) 



Burmese name — Hnet-pya-chauJc. 

 ^^No. 317. Sitta neglecta.) 



THE VELVET-FRONTED BLUE NUTHATCH. 



A lovelv little bird about five inches in leneth with the whole 

 upper plumage a rich bright blue, bieast and lower parts a greyish 

 velvety lilac; a black fore-head and coral-red bill. It is found in all 

 the better wooded parts of the country and is very tit-like in habits, 

 preferring the small outer branches of trees for hunting purposes, 

 although it may often be seen running up and down trunks of trees 

 in the same manner as the rest of the family. 



(No. 325. S. frontalis). 



TITS. 



The true Tits are a small family of birds, which are familiar to 

 most of us at home, and are remarkable for having their nostrils 

 complete'y hidden by feathers, for which reason they are often 

 classed with the crows, with whom they share this characteristic. 

 As they show no other likeness either in plumage, habits or the 

 colour of their eggs, I have kept them separate. Burma is not well 

 represented by this family, only two being comparatively common ; a 

 few others, which show a great affinity in their habits to the English 

 Long-tailed Tits, and are de:idedly rare birds. 



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