NUTHATCH 



NUTJOBBER WOODCRACKER. 



PLATE LI. FIGURE II. 

 Sitta casia, .... PENNANT. MONTAGU. 



THESE birds pair in March, and at once commence their 

 nest, which is placed in some hole in a tree, frequently 

 one previously made use of by a Woodpecker, at a height 

 of from twenty to sixty feet from the ground. If the entrance 

 be too large, they narrow it with clay, until it is of the right 

 width. It is lined with dry leaves, the scales of fir cones, 

 moss, bits of bark and wood, and sometimes a little grass. 



There is a very singular nest in the British Museum, 

 presented by Mr. F. Bond, which was placed in the side of a 

 haystack, and measured thirteen inches by eight, the weight 

 of the clay used in its formation being eleven pounds. 



Incubation commences about the middle of April, and the 

 female, while sitting, makes a hissing noise at any intruder. 

 The young are fed principally with small caterpillars, and 

 even the old birds feed on insects after the nutting season is 

 over. 



The eggs, from five to seven or eight in number, and of 

 an oval form, vary considerably in marking ; they are usually 

 greyish white, spotted and sometimes much blotted with 

 chestnut brown. 



