THE NUTHATCH 



l>amit.s, who worked with extreme rapidity. Only a few 

 would intervene between the moment either bird alighted, and its 

 actual presence at the nesting-hole. No wonder that there was a 

 scramble for front Keats t Sometimes both j HI rents came together with 

 food ; this was frequently the case when they grew accustomed to the 

 camera. Journeys to the nest were made at the rate of one in every 

 four minutes. 



I knew another family of nuthatches this year reared in a nesting- 

 box. One of the number was bigger and stronger than his brethren 

 and would climb on their backs, and thrust his head outside the box 

 in order to be served first ; but now and again, a sudden scrimmage 

 within caused him to fall ignominiously backwards, a just reward for 

 greed and pushfulness. Two broods are sometimes reared in the 

 season. When this is the case the first family keeps with the male 

 until able to fend for itself; but usually these birds are single-brooded. 

 Young and old keep together for some time, wandering about in search 

 of food ; but sooner or later these family parties split up, for they are 

 not nearly so gregarious as titmice. 



When roosting these birds are said to sleep with the head and 

 beak downwards l suspended from the bark of a tree. They certainly 

 attach themselves to bark which is nailed up in an aviary in this 

 manner. The old birds do not take kindly to captivity, "Though 

 readily eating almost anything that is given them, they soon kill them- 

 selves through their unceasing efforts to escape. The young, however, 

 may be reared with less risk." But they are better free ; for of all our 

 resident wild birds the robin excepted not one affords so much 

 amusement or pleasure as the gay, rollicking nuthatch, who will attach 

 himself to your garden, and eventually consider the whole estate his 

 own, and you his willing slave. In return for food and kindness 

 during the winter he will generously repay you a thousandfold, by 

 helping to destroy just those insect-pests mast injurious to plan- 

 tations. 



1 Yarrell, voL i. p. 477. 



