216 THE NUTHATCH 



Gay as the nuthatch looks in spring dress, yet he harmonises well 

 with his surroundings ; for under certain conditions bright colours may 

 conceal a bird where more sober tones would render it conspicuous. 

 The nuthatch lives more amongst the branches of trees than does the 

 delicately pencilled tree-creeper. In summer when the sunlight 

 filtering through masses of foliage makes broad splashes of colour, the 

 nuthatch is easily concealed and " melts into " his surroundings. Yet 

 during the winter his bluish back appears greyish brown in a dull light, 

 rendering him inconspicuous against the russet and grey lichen- 

 covered branches. 



The nuthatch feeds largely on insects, such as weevils and other 

 small beetles, all of the injurious species ; and these birds must do an 

 immense amount of good in cleaning and scouring trees from such pests 

 at all seasons of the year. But they do not confine themselves wholly 

 to insect food : for during autumn and winter beech-mast, hazel-nuts 

 and acorns are consumed in large quantities. The silence of the winter 

 woods is often broken by a sound of level blows upon some resisting sur- 

 face. Probably this is our friend at work in his own peculiar manner. 

 Having found a nut, he will carry it in his claws to some favourite 

 cranny, and there, by means of bill and claws, wedge it tightly into this 

 crevice and proceed to split the shell with well-directed blows from his 

 strong beak ; generally, but not always, perching himself above the nut 

 as shown in Mr. Seaby's picture. These sledge-hammer blows are 

 delivered with the force of his whole body, and not merely by means 

 of the muscles of head and neck after the manner of titmice. Hence 

 his name of " Nuthatch," or " Nuthack," from the French hache, a 

 hatchet. This method of attack is continued until the contents of the 

 nut are arrived at and devoured. 



Those, who possess gardens on the edge of plantations frequented 

 by nuthatches, may watch this performance during the winter months 

 when food is scarce. If nuts are wedged for them into suitable crevices, 



o 



or even fixed to a window-sill, the birds will fearlessly approach, and 

 hack out the kernels. Having found a favourite spot in which to 



