popular Btcttonarj) nf &mm<itett ^attire. 455 



and branches of trees ; but the tail, which ia 

 short and rounded, is of no assistance to the 

 bird in its progress. Unlike the Wood- 

 pecker, however, the Nuthatch runs with the 

 head downwards as well as upwards, and 

 indeed the former position of the head ap- 

 pears to be the favourite one ; it generally 

 alights on a branch with the nead in a do\vn- 



P.EA.) 



ward position, and sleeps in that posture. 

 The Nuthatch feeds on caterpillars, beetles, 

 and various kinds of insects : it also eats 

 nuts, of which it lays up considerable 

 hoards in the holes of trees. Its mode of 

 fastening the nut in a chink, perforating the 

 shell, and extracting the kernel, is as inge- 

 nious as it is amusing to witness : when dis- 

 turbed at its work, it very readily removes 

 the nut, and flies away with it. These birds 

 are found in all cold and temperate climates. 

 The courage and perseverance of the Nut- 

 hatch, when made captive, are notorious. 

 It is related in the Magazine of Natural 

 History, that one of these birds had been 

 winged by a sportsman, and was put into a 

 small cage made of oak and wire. During 

 a night and day, the period of his confine- 

 ment, his tapping labour was incessant, and 

 at the end of that time the wood-work of 

 his prison was pierced and worn like worrn- 

 eaten timber. His impatience of his situa- 

 tion was excessive ; his efforts to escape 

 were unceasing, and displayed a degree of 

 shrewd intelligence perfectly surprising. He 

 was fierce and fearlessly familiar, and vo- 

 raciously devoured the food placed before 

 him. His hammering is described as having 

 been peculiarly laborious, for he did not 

 peck as other birds do, but taking a firm 

 grasp with his great feet, he turned upon 

 them as upon a pivot, striking with his 

 whole weight, and thus assuming with his 

 body the appearance of the head of a 

 hammer in motion. But all his energy was 

 fruitless ; his liberation was beyond his own 

 power to effect i and the unfortunate bird 

 expired at the close of the second day under 

 the combined effects of his vexation and 

 assiduity. 



NUT- WEEVIL. [See WEEVIL.] 



NYCTIGIUS. A genus of birds belonging 

 to the CaprimuJffidce family. 



NYCTICORAX. A genus of the Heron 

 tribe, containing the NIGHT HEKONS. [See 

 HKUOX.] 



NYLGHAU, or WHITE-FOOTED ANTE- 

 LOPE. (Antilope \_Portax] picta.) This ani- 

 mal, which inhabits various parts of India, is 

 one of the largest and finest Antelopes known. 

 Its face is long and narrow ; its horns are 

 black, round, pointed, and sli?htlycurved for- 



wards, though only about seven inches long ; 

 the ears broad and fringed with white hairs ; 

 the neck deep and compressed : along the 

 top of the neck runs a slight mane of black 

 hair, which is continued to some distance 

 down the back ; and on the breast is a long 

 hanging tuft of a similar colour. The 

 general colour of the Nylghau is a fine dark 

 gray or slaty blue on the upper parts, and 

 white underneath. The female resembles 

 the male in general appearance, but is con- 

 siderably smaller, of a pale brown colour, 

 arid has no horns. There is a large white 



] PIOTA.) 



spot on the throat, and a smaller one on 

 each cheek ; and the pastern joints are 

 marked in front with one, and behind with 

 two white spots or bars. The native haunts 

 of this powerful animal are the dense forests 

 of India. It is said that in the days of 

 Aurengzebe they abounded between Delhi 

 and Lahore, and formed one of the objects 

 of the chase with that mighty monarch 

 during his journey to Cashmire ; his army 

 of hunters inclosing them within a limited 

 space by means of nets. The king and his 

 omrahs, attended by their huntsmen, then 

 entered, and, somewhat after the manner of 

 a modern battu, dispatched them with their 

 arrows, spears, &c. 



NYMPHALID.E. The third family of 

 Lepidoptera. They are distinguished by the 

 rudimental structure of the fore legs, which 

 are thickly covered with hair ; the labial 

 palpi are proportionably longer ; the wings 

 more robust ; the posterior grooved to receive 

 the abdomen ; and the discoidal cell either 

 open, or closed by a slender nerve. The 

 caterpillars are variable in form ; and the 

 chrysalis is simply suspended by the tail. 

 Among the species belonging to this family 

 are many of the most beautifully varied in 

 their markings and colours. The well-known 

 species bearing the English names of the 

 Peacock, Painted Lady, Camberwell Ccauty, 



