THE NUTHATCH. 101 



a chink of the bark of a tree, and hammers at them with 

 the point of its bill until the shell is broken. 



It builds its nest in a hole in a tree, the entrance, if too 

 large, being plastered up with clay until it is of just suffi- 

 cient size to admit the bird. The eggs, from five to seven 

 in number, are white, spotted with reddish brown. 



^.-.,^-..,^ : ,,.. '^^--^^f.. 





