BIRDS OF THE WOODS 49 



frozen surface of a pond. Call-note, a sharp shrill 

 " whit." 



Habits. It spends most of its time creeping about 

 tree-trunks searching bark crevices for food. It pro- 

 ceeds in a series of quick jerks, and is not particular 

 whether it goes upwards or comes down head first. It 

 wedges nuts into the interstices of the bark and hammers 

 sharply at them with its beak until the kernel can be 

 extracted. When alarmed it usually places the trunk 

 between itself and the spectator, and consequently is 

 more often heard than seen. Flight undulating and not 

 very rapid. 



Food. Insects and their larvae, nuts, kernels, beech- 

 mast ; in winter it feeds like, and often in company with, 

 Sparrows and Tits, on scraps and refuse found near 

 houses. 



Nest. April. Probably one brood only. 



Site. In hole in wall or tree, &c., usually near the 

 ground. If the hole is too large it will cement up the 

 orifice with mud mixed in the beak with adhesive saliva. 



Materials. Dead leaves, grass, and scraps of bark. 



Eggs. Five to seven. White, spotted with brownish 

 red, and sometimes grey shell-spottings. Much like the 

 Great Tit's, but rather larger. 



SPARROW-HAWK (Accipiter nisus). 



Well distributed throughout Great Britain in all 

 well-wooded parts ; essentially a woodland bird. 



Plumage. Upper parts slate-blue, with white patch 

 on nape. Under parts rufous white, transversely barred 

 with dark brown. Wings short. Tail greyish brown, 

 barred with brownish-black. Bill blue ; cere greenish 

 yellow. Legs yellow. Length 13 in. Female ; upper 

 parts brown, with white spot on nape ; under parts 

 greyish white, barred with dark grey. Length 15^ in. 

 Young, at first covered with white down ; afterwards 



G 



