THE WHITE-BELLIED NUTHATCH. 59 



Goodhue of Webster, N. H. Usually, however, they look for 

 one already prepared in the trunk of a tree, in a hollow rail in 

 a fence, or in a crevice in the wall of an out-building. In any 

 case, more or less work of construction is necessary, and Dr. 

 Brewer tells us that then both sexes labor together, alternating 

 the work of cutting, while the unengaged one carries away the 

 chips and attends upon its mate. These cavities are sometimes 

 considerably over a foot ieep and enlarged at the bottom. They 

 are lined with a soft and warm nest of hair, fcatlicrs, cotton 

 and other matters, loosely conglomerated. Audubon's state- 

 ment that they build no nest may prove true in the South. 

 In ]\Ir. E. \V. Nelson's valuable pamphlet on the Birds ot 

 Northeastern Illinois is an entertaining anecdote of how a pair 

 of nuthatches lost their labor in one instance. The birds had 

 chosen a knot-hole in a large oak about twenty-five feet from 

 the ground, and began house-furnishing on May lo. The hole 

 was large enough to admit Mr. Nelson's hand and several inch- 

 es deep, but nearly iilled with the remains of a squirrel's nest. 

 The birds worked steadily for about a week, lining the cavity 

 with small fragments of dry leaves and pieces of i^abbits' fur ; 

 but just as the nest was finished a pair of flying-squirrels seized 

 the premises, and the birds were obliged to move elsewhere. 



Nuthatches' eggs measure .So by .62 of an inch ; their ground 

 color is white (roseate before blown) which is nearly every- 

 where covered with dots, spots, and blotches of reddish-brown 

 and shades of purple ; the latter sometimes in large proportion. 



The constant attention of the male to the female while she is 

 sitting, and his assiduous cflbrts to lighten her cares and cheer 

 her vigil, are very pretty. He brings her food constantly, 

 always remains close by, keeps calling to her, and is not satis- 

 fied unless she frequently comes to the entrance ot the burrow 

 to receive his caresses or choice bits of food. On the other 

 hand, the female is equally devoted to her brood, reckless of 

 danger to herself. Mr. Brewster, having discovered a nest in 

 a partly decayed apple-tree, Maynard relates, enlarged the 

 entrance that he might introduce his hand and remove the bird. 

 She struggled vigorously to escape, but, as soon as she was 



