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26 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



We came across in the earlj- morning on 

 the ebb tide, and now, several hours later, 

 the tide was coming in and at the present 

 time was running swiftly. Just before I 

 reached the boat mj' attention was attracted 

 to a few small birds about three hundred 

 yards awa}'. Their motions were exceed- 

 ingl}' graceful, and they appeared as light as 

 bubbles on the water. They seemed to be 

 at play, constantly springing from the water 

 and flying first one waj* and then another, 

 as if playing tag or puss in the corner. 

 The instant I caught sight of them I invol- 

 untarily said " Phalaropes." 



{To be continued.) ^1 ; 



Notes on the WMte-breasted Nuthatch. 



(SiTTA COKOLINENSIS.) 



Following the idea of John Burroughs^ 

 I procured some beef bones and nailed 

 them on a large willow tree in such a posi- 

 tion that I could readily see them from my 

 study window ; with the intention of at- 

 tracting and noticing a few habits of our 

 friend, the Downy Woodpecker. 



Rather to my gratification I found 

 that one of my little friends, a White- 

 breasted Nuthatch, appreciated my kind- 

 ness more than the Downys. The bones 

 appeared to remain for several days en- 

 tirely unnoticed, and I had almost given 

 up hope, but on one snowy Sundaj' morn- 

 ing I happened to see mj' little friend busy 

 at the bones ; he would tug hard at a piece 

 of fat until he pulled it off, if it happened 

 to be a small one he would eat it, and if 

 any rather longer piece was secured he 

 would adjourn to a crack in the bark not 

 far off and very neatly hide it in the crev- 

 ice, and in a few cases would fl}' to an ad- 

 joining tree, and do the same with other 

 pieces taken from the bones. By watch- 

 ing through an opera-glass I could see the 

 end of the meat thus hidden protruding 

 from the crack. What his idea was in so 

 doing I cannot say, unless he acted on the 

 principle of the dog who buries his bones, 

 " to lay by for a rain}' day." 



One day when watching him work he 

 stopped to take a look around, and caught 

 me standing at the window, when he took 

 his immediate departure, as if he thought 

 he was intruding on private property and 



was under danger of immediate arrest by 

 myself. Loath to return so long as I was 

 at the window, he kept flying from tree to 

 tree, looking to see if I was about, and 

 not till I left my place did he venture back. 

 Another rather interesting little instance 

 happened about these bones. One morn- 

 ing while my little friend was busil}' par- 

 taking of his meal of beef, there came upon 

 the scene a female Downy Woodpecker 

 (the males have the red crown, this bird 

 not having an}'). The Nuthatch immedi- 

 atel}' on the fresh arrival turned away from 

 his feast, and quietly went around the 

 trunk of the tree in search of other food. 

 Whilst Miss Down}' was helping herself 

 there came upon the scene with a great 

 chirruping several English Sparrows, who 

 arranged themselves along a small branch 

 directly over the bones, and in silence eyed 

 the above mentioned lady. No sooner had 

 Miss Downy left, than the sparrows came 

 down in a body on a large knot just below 

 the bones, but they could not get within 

 reach of the prize, for, unlike the Nuthatch 

 and Woodpecker, they had not the power of 

 running up the side of a tree. It was very 

 amusing to witness the apparent disappoint- 

 ment of the sparrows on finding them- 

 selves so badly baffled in their designs. 

 John H. Steele. 



April Insects. — The first flowers of 

 spring teem with insects of many orders, 

 but especially the Hymenoptera of the 

 genera Andrena, Halictus, Melissodes, and 

 Nomada, which have issued from their 

 underground nests. The honey-bee (Apis 

 mellifica) , the carpenter-bee (Xylocopa 

 virginica) , and the bumble-bee (Bombus) 

 are conspicuous. Among Coleoptera, the 

 blister-beetles (Meloidae) and the tiger- 

 beetles (Cicindelidoe) are noticeable ; and 

 the painted clytus (Cyllene pictus), with 

 its black-and-yellow banded coat, will be 

 common in houses where hickory-wood is 

 used in the fires. Among Lepidoptera, 

 the blues (Lycaenidie), the monarch or 

 milk-weed butterfly (Danais archippus), 

 the Graptas and Eudamus bathyllus will 

 be seen. Among Orthoptera, the Acridium 

 americanum and Q^dipoda phoenicoptera 

 will be noticeable among wintering forms 

 on account of their large size. — Science 

 Almanac. 



