SJ83 UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



pnt to the blush the best efforts of a wren, a kinglet, or 

 any warbler. Nuthatches never quarrel. I have watched, 

 during excessively stormy weather, a pair of these birds 

 running around and around the trunk of the wild cherry 

 near my windows. Occasionally, spinning around in hot 

 haste, they would collide, but it resulted onlj' in a cheery 

 chirp, a half lifting of the wings, with an "excuse me" 

 air, and then they separated. 



For some reason, perhaps easily guessed, nuthatches 

 are annoyed by the presence of squirrels, red or gray. 

 Not that these animals ever molest them, when they meet 

 in trees ; but they are either interfered with, at the time, 

 indirectly, or, what is more probable, it is hereditary 

 hatred, caused by the villainous egg-stealing habits of 

 the squirrel. Only the other day, the nuthatches on 

 the cherry awoke me by an unusually animated chirp- 

 ing. I very naturally thought of an English sparrow; 

 but the cause of the disturbance proved to be that a 

 little red squirrel that nests in a hollow locust near 

 by was wandering about the cherry in an aimless sort 

 of way, as though enjoying the rage of the scolding nut- 

 hatches; but his enjoyment proved of short duration. 

 Tired, at last, of his impudence, the birds, with wren- 

 like rapidity, darted simultaneously at the intruder, with 

 outstretched necks, which meant two vicious stabs from 

 their sharp beaks. The squirrel squeaked and winced, 

 but stood his ground. Again the birds darted at him, 

 with like results. It was too much for him. The birds 

 made the fur fly, and he flew with it. 



There is another little tree-climbing bird that is seen 

 both winter and summer, of tener alone than in company ; 



