The Nuthatch. 57 



ascending to the branch where it had been at work, he 

 found a fissure in the bark ; which, no doubt, the bird 

 had been taking advantage of to hold the object it was 

 hammering at. 



On one occasion a bird was brought to me for identifi- 

 cation by a ranger of a neighbouring wood. He had 

 shot it, not within the wood, but beside it, in the garden 

 of his lodge, where it was feeding upon the young flower 

 buds of a cherry tree, not yet blown. I saw it was the 

 Nuthatch (Sitta Europcea), whose favourite food is the 

 hazel nut, from the breaking open of which with its 

 powerful pickaxe beak it derives its vernacular name 

 presumably an altered form of " nuthatchet," or " nut- 

 hack." Failing the hazel nuts, it will eat acorns, beech- 

 mast, berries, and the kernels of stone-fruit, as also 

 beetles and other insects, though I think it prefers a 

 vegetable diet when such can be obtained. The fact of 

 its being taken in the act of despoiling the cherry tree is 

 somewhat confirmatory of this ; for although strictly a 

 wood bird, and commonly confining itself to the timber 

 trees, there are certain periods of the year, as now in 

 early spring, when it pays a visit to the adjacent orchards 

 to make forage among the buds and blossoms. 



The Nuthatch is fairly entitled to a place in the list of 

 interesting British birds, and for several reasons. In 

 addition to its very pretty plumage, it is the only species 

 of its genus we have ; while its habits are singular and 

 sui generis. Besides, it is of somewhat rare occurrence, 

 for although inhabiting many wooded districts of our 

 island, it is far from being common, and still farther from 

 being commonly seen. Even in the neighbourhoods it fre- 

 quents but few people are acquainted with its personal ap- 

 pearance. As a proof, the man who brought n^e the speci-. 



