658 WHITE-BELLIED NUTILVTOH. 



with buff, with the flanks washed with chestnut. Tibiae, crissum and ventral region, rich c'lostnnt brown : 

 the under tail coverts are also streaked with it. Wings and tail beneath, like the upper surface, but mure 

 glaucous. Axillaries, like the back. Under wing coverts, black. Adult female, similar to the male, but 

 with the top of the head washed with slaty blue. Young, have the white of the tail feathers more restricted 

 and a deeper suffusion of buff beneath. Webs, brown ; feet, brown ; bill, black, blue at the base of the under 

 mandible, in both sexes and in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



This species may be readily distinguished from all other native Nuthatches by its larger size and white 

 under parts. Occurs in summey in the more northern portions of the United States ; winters from Massa- 

 chusetts southward, excepting Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of six specimens from New England. Length, Ti.TG ; stretch. 10. '12; wing- 

 3.60; tail, 1.82; bill, .71 ; tarsus, .66. Largest specimen, G.OO; greatest extent of wings, ll.."iO; longest 

 wing. 3.69 ; tail, 2.15 ; bill, .80 ; tarsus, .80. Shortest specimen, 5 00 ; smallest stretch of wings, !).21 ; short- 

 est wing, 2.60 ; tail, 1.85 ; bill, .67 ; tarsus, .60. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, built in the hole of a tree, and composed of fine grasses lined with hair or feathers. For,?, 

 usually six in number, occasionally seven and rarely eight or nine ; creamy white in color, spotted and 

 blotched irregularly with pale reddish brown and lilac, and the spots often form a ring around the larger 

 end. Dimensions, froia .70 by .57 to .83 by .60. 



HABITS. 



If there were ever harlequins among birds, thev are the White-bellied Nutliatches ; 

 for while they are on the trees, searching for insects, they are constantly assuming all the 

 positions imaginable. They will climb quickly up the trunk, after the manner of the 

 Woodpeckers, peering right and left, then will suddenly commence a retograde niove- 

 ment, which is checked abruptly as tlie birds seize upon some beetle, when, without an 

 inst.ant's jjause, they will reverse themselves and back u])Avards, proceeding as agdel\- as 

 if moving head foremost. In a few seconds they will stop, raise their heads, glance aljout 

 while sounding their harsh notes, then launch into air, alighting ;qx)ii the lower side of 

 a limb, and will glide along it as ninddy as if upon the upper part. Thus they are ever 

 in motion, and always changing their attitudes in an easy and graceful manner, but do 

 not have the quick nervous movements of the Brown-lieaded and Red-l)el]ied Nuthatches, 

 but perform their evolutions more steadily. 



These birds may be found in the orchard as well as in tiie woods, but, although bv no 

 means rare, it is not usual to meet with many in a single day. They appear to live in 

 pairs, apart from their fellows, associating with the warblers or titmice ; and I can recall 

 but few instances where I have found more than two in one locality at the same time. 

 Then the birds seemed to have met by accident and probably would not have remained to- 

 gether for any length of time. 



The White-l;)ellied Nuthatches, like the preceding species, are great wanderers during 

 winter, but remain in one locality when the breeding sea.son approache,". I think their 

 eggs are laid by the last of April for I have seen fully fledged young by June 1st. Tlie 

 nest from which they came was built in the hole of an old stub, and was situated about 



