157 



NUTHATCH.* 



NUTHATCHES are not uncommon in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Bottisham, and may often be heard in 

 the spring uttering their shrill whistling note. Dur- 

 ing a certain portion of the year these birds feed 

 chiefly upon nuts, which they break with their bill, 

 after having firmly fixed them in the crevices of 

 the bark of trees. For this purpose they appear to 

 resort frequently to the same spots, (as thrushes do 

 to break snails,f) as I have observed some old trees 

 in particular whose clefts are full of broken shells, 

 whilst in others not one is to be seen. 



March 6, 1843. A nuthatch was shot by the 

 keeper at Bottisham Hall to-day, while feeding, as 

 he asserted, on a dead sheep. This seems in keep- 

 ing with Bewick's observation respecting this spe- 

 cies, that it is fond of picking bones ; though I never 

 before knew an instance of its shewing any such 

 carnivorous propensities. The stomach, however, 

 of this individual, which we examined, and which 

 was very strong and muscular, did not appear to 

 contain much of this kind of food. It was princi- 

 pally stuffed with gravels, and the remains of coleo- 

 pterous insects, amongst which the elytra of ladybirds 

 were very distinguishable. 



.* Sitta europaa, Linn. t See p. 127. 



