BLUE-BACKED BIRDS. 127 



jection over tl>c stream, whence it may dive for the 

 fish below. When it is seen tlms employed, the 

 great spear-like bill declares the Kingfisher ; but it is 

 more probable that, disturbed by the intruder, the 

 bird will be seen flying low along-stream — a glori- 

 fied Dipper that vanishes at the first bend. 



WOODPECKERS. -These are tlie only birds with great 

 bills at all resembling that of the Kinglisher ; but Wood- 

 peckers are woodland and largely trnnk-clinibing birds, 

 none of them having blue in its colouring. 



NUTHATCH. — Plate 57. 5f inches. Upper 

 parts and central tail-feathers blue-gray ; remaining 

 tail-feathers black, barred with wliite ; line through 

 the eye and extending along the neck black ; cheeks 

 and throat white ; under parts bufi^", deepening into 

 chestnut on the flanks ; bill straight, long, strong, 

 slate-blue ; feet brown. Resident. 



Eggs. — 5-7, white, similar to those of the Great 

 Tit, but more coarsely blotched with reddish-brown ; 

 •77 x-56 inch (plate 126). 



Nest. — A hole in the trunk or in a leading branch of 

 a tree, bedded with dead leaves ; the natural orifice, if 

 too large, being partially stopped with clay. 



Distribution.— South-eastern and central England ; 

 Brecon, Radnor, and some other parts of Wales ; 

 farther north extremely rare ; unknown in Ireland. 



The Nuthatch is a woodland bird, cliiefly of the 

 southern parts of England, being rare in the north, 

 little known in Scotland, and unknown in Ireland. 

 It is a rotund, thickly set, short-tailed bird, capable 



