W II I TE BELLIED N UTH ATCH. 



657 



about iii i^niall liixks in i-iiiu)>:(nv with \viU"l)lers aud woodpeckers, hut by the latter part of 

 February tln'\- pair and begin to l)uild. They usually select a partly decayed stub and 

 excavate a hole in it with their bills, after the manner of the woodpeckers, to a depth of 

 some six or eight inches, placing the nest at the bottom, but are not particular regarding 

 its height above the ground, for 1 have seen them in stumps not over ten feet high and m 

 dead trees fifty feet in air. 



While breeding they have a singular note which differs entirely from that which is 

 ordinarily given, being a continuous low chatter. These birds are usually unsuspicious 

 at this time and I have stood within a few yards of them while they were at work. Both 

 sexes labor industriously, and like the Black-capped Titmouse, carry the chips which are 

 made to some distance before droj)ping them. Although they pay very little attention 

 to the presence of man, when undisturbed by him, they are assiduous in defending their 

 nests from any real or fancied enemy and, if a Woodpecker chances to alight near the 

 domicile, will attack him with fury, invnriably forcing him to leave the locality. They 

 are occupied some time in completing the ne.^t Intt by tlie middle of March the eggs are 

 deposited, and by the first or second week in April the young appear. They are fully 

 fledged by the 15th of May and then follow their parents about. The Brown-headed 

 Nuthatches avoid the deciduous woods, but I have f)undtliem in isolated patches of pines, 

 to reach which they must have crossed swamps and hammocks. Tlie\' doubtless move 

 silenth- and quickly over such places for I have never seen nor heard them there. 



SITTA CAROLIMENISIS. 

 White-bellied Nuthatch. 



Sitta europaea var. y, carolinensis Gmelin, I, 178S, 440, Baird, Birds of North America, 18.08, 374. 



DESCRIPTION. 

 Sp. Cii. Form, robust. Size, quite large. Bill, long and somewhat slender. Tail not much rounded. 

 Sternum, stoutly built. Keel, longer than the coracoid bones ; but it is not higher than half the width of 

 the sternum. Tongue, thin and horny, with the sides straight, 

 the end broken into irregular ponits. Color. Adult male. 

 Above, slaty blue. Top of head and neck to the shoulders, 

 glossy black. Upper surface of wing and coverts, black ; with 

 the edges, tips, outer webs of upper tertiaries, and lines along 

 the veins of the last, like the back : there is also a spot at the 

 base of the primaries, and on the inner webs of the spurious 

 quills, and elongated spots on the middle of the outer webs of 

 the second, third and fourth quills, white. The two central tail 

 feathers are like the back ; remainder, black, with the six outer 

 crossed diagonally by a broad subterminally bar of white, which 

 extends up for a short distance on the outer web of the first two 

 feathers, and reaches the tip of the third on the inner web. The 

 black of the tips is preceded on the outer webs by a small patch 

 of slaty. The remaining feathers are tipped with white, preceded 

 by slaty. Lower parts, including sides of head, and sjiace for some distance above the eye, white, tinned 



Fig. lO;). Head of adult White- 

 bellied Nuthatch. 



