G5(i J!i;<)\Vi\'-]lKAJ.)El) .NUTHATCH. , 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known at once by the small size cind brown head. 'I'his species has a ilisti-ibuti'iu thr-m^^h mt thf^ ni ire 

 southern sections of the United States, but I ilid not find it on the Florida Keys. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurement of twenty-tivc sjieciTncns from l^'lorida. Len^rtli, 4.'_'l : stretch. 7 'il : wmy.. -A-'> -' 

 tail, 1.20 ; bill, .o-j : tarsus, .-"i!'. Lonp;est si)eeinicn, Ti.l.") : i;-reateste.\teut of wings, s.o.^ : Inngest wing, l.'.7-"i • 

 tail, l.T)!) ; bill, .00: tarsus, .04. Shortest specimen, 4.00 ; smallest extent of wings, 7..'Jn : shortest wing, 

 2.;J<»; tail, l.l.') : bill, .47 ; tarsus, .4-".. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EG<iS. 

 Nests, in Florida, built in holes of trees and composed of the soft fibrous substances wdiicli grow about 

 the base of the leaves of the saw palmetto. They are shallow and about two inches in diameter. E«(;si 

 oval in form, wdiite iji collar, spotted and dotted irregularly with reddish bruwn, but nmre thickly "n the 

 larger end. Dimensions, IVuni .(i(J by .4.'i to .(li! by . Is. 



HAUITS. 



The i)iiR' hari'ciis nf Florida, arc iiumtMiSL' wooiljainl plains, wliicii arc sometime.^ nill- 

 iiig, hut generally k'N'c'l. The trees grow at ratliei' \vi(le iiiter\als. and the sjiaec's het\\c:_ai 

 them areusiiallx' cox'ei'ed with a sparse growHi of dwarf p.diii^. The elFect of the eai'h' 

 light upon this landscape is line. Tiie sun s'hines hriglitly on the straight, lirow u trunks 

 of the pines, whieh rise on all sides, and gla.nees IVoni the slinung lea\es ol' the saw p.ihnctto 

 as thev are vva.ved by the morning hi'eeze. Fantastic s!\adows ai'c cast u|)' ii the ground 1)\- 

 the huge lii'e-blackened stul)s which wa\e their gigantic anus high o\-erhead. Light, fleecy 

 clouds nio\e steadily aci'oss the hhie sky, impelled hy the I'ising wind, which sighs thi'oiigh 

 the masses of dark green t'oliagc. with a souinl which reminds one of t'le roaring sea. 

 Indeed, while wamlcring tlu'ough these ti'ackless wilds, with t'le trees ap|.)arently ci'o\vding 

 together in the distance so as to shut out any \'ery c'xtended \icw. one seems as mindi 

 alone as if u[>on tlu' l)road ocean. Many heautiful Howers are lilooming in confusion 

 ai'ound, yet they are seldom looked ni)on h\' any hmnan being, and here \vhere thei-e is 

 not a single traire of the hand of man, one thorougiily realizes that he is in a juTlcct wil- 

 derness whiidi forages has remained iniclianged. Tiie same ]iines which we now look upon 

 stood A\diere lhe\' stand to-da\long Ijcl'ore the Indians chased the det'r upon lliesi^' ^^■i(le- 

 spread pasture grounds, and it is extremely probalile that centmies will come and go 

 before any great change will ha\x' taken ]ilace. 



Many bird notes greet the ear in this sunny woodland, but none are moi'c in kee}>ing 

 witli the prevailing loneliness than tiie somewhat ha r.sh and solemnly given ■■ cah cah call" 

 of the Brown-headed Nuthatch. There is something about this souml, foi' although it 

 comes to the ea.r loudly and (dearly, the tiny author of it is so high up among the tops nf 

 the tallest trees as to be invisible to the casual ol>sei"\'er. They are lix'tdy little bii'ds jind 

 have all the characteristic movements of their race, running along the underside of the 

 limbs, or down the trunk head fii'st, seeming to s|)end more than half of their time upside 

 down. Tlie\" are ever bus\-, never remaining long on one tree, but will tlit (piickh' liom 

 place to place with a r.apid undulating llight. They appea-i' to lead a ro\ing life and nunc 



