Salus Sitta 163 



because the Ass is wont to rub its sores against the 

 thorn-bushes to scratch them, therefore for this cause, 

 and also because the bird has heard the brayer's voice 

 it prematurely drops its eggs, while even nestlings fall 

 down to the ground with fear. So for that injury (the 

 bird) attacking it scoops out its sores. 



PLINY. 



The ^Egithus, a very little bird, wages war with the 

 Ass, because it, rubbing against thorn-bushes to scratch 

 itself, destroys the nest, and this the bird dreads so much 

 that, if it merely hears the brayer's voice, it drops its 

 eggs, and the young also fall to the ground with 

 fear. Accordingly attacking it the bird scoops out 

 its sores. 



OF THE SITTA. 



Sitta, in English a nut jobber, in German eyn nushakker 

 or eyn meyspecht. 



ARISTOTLE. 



That bird which is called Sitta has pugnacious 

 habits but a cheerful disposition ; it is elegant and well 

 adapted to get food with ease. Yet men attribute 

 witchcraft to it, since it is cunning in knowledge of 

 affairs ; it produces numerous young with ease ; 

 hammering on rotten trees, it lives upon the grubs 

 which thence it digs. The Sitta breaks the eggs of 

 the Aquila, on which account, and also since it is 

 carnivorous, the Aquila is its enemy. 



The small bird which the English call the Nut-seeker and 

 Germans the meyspecht is somewhat bigger than the biggest 

 Parus, with blue plumage and a longish beak. It climbs 

 trees in the same way as the Picus, and hammers the same 

 for food ; it also bores nuts with its beak, and eats the 

 kernels. It nests in hollow trees, as does the Picus, while 

 its note is very sharp and loud. 



