386 INSESSORES. SITTA. NUTHATCH- 



commonly making use of the deserted habitation of a Wood- 

 pecker ; and MONTAGU tells us, that its first step is that of 

 contracting the orifice by a plaster of clay, so as barely to ad- 

 Nest, &c. mit of a passage for itself. The nest is composed of the dead 

 leaves of the oak and other trees, put together without much 

 regularity ; and it lays from five to seven eggs, of a greyish- 

 white, spotted with reddish-brown colour, and very similar to 

 those of the great Titmouse. During incubation, the female 

 sits very close, and it is almost impossible to drive her from 

 the nest ; she defends it to the last extremity, striking with 

 her bill and wings, and making at the same time a hissing 

 noise. In the spring, this bird produces a loud and shrill 

 whistle ; but the singular noise attributed to it by Dr PLOTT, 

 in his History of Oxfordshire, has been ascertained to pro- 

 ceed from the true Woodpeckers. It is found throughout 

 Europe, and is stationary in all climates. 



PLATE 89. Fig. 1. Natural size. 

 General Upper part blackish-grey. Bill with the upper mandible 



descrip- blackish-sreVi and the under one white at the base, 



tion. ' 



Irides brown. From the posterior angle of the bill, a 



black streak proceeds, past the eye, and through the ear- 

 coverts, down the sides of the neck. Chin and sides of 

 the face white. Breast and belly buff-orange. Sides 

 and thighs reddish-brown-orange. Under tail-coverts 

 white, and deeply margined with reddish-brown. Quills 

 blackish-grey. Tail composed of twelve short flexible 

 feathers ; the two middle ones grey ; the four outer ones 

 black, with a white spot or bar ; the tip ash-grey. Legs 

 yellowish-grey. The hind toe long ; claws hooked, and 

 large. The female and the young of the year vary but 

 slightly from the above description. 



