Birds of Oregon and Washington 231 



The woodpecker well may despair of this feat 

 Only the fly with you can compete I 

 So much is clear ; but I fain would know 

 How you can so reckless and fearless go, 

 Head upward, head downward, all one to you, 

 Zenith and nadir the same in your view ? " 



There are two varieties of the Nuthatch in our 

 States the Red-breasted, and the less common 

 Slender-billed Nuthatch. 



THE RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION : 



Upper parts : black and brownish. 



Under parts : rufous, or light rusty-red. 



Length, 4 to 4.5 inches. 



Found on trunks and large limbs of trees, both ever- 

 greens and deciduous. 



This little creature, creeping swiftly along the 

 under side of a limb as a fly runs along the ceil- 

 ing, uttering his " Tai-tai-tait," is truly about as 

 curious a specimen of bird-life as we shall find 

 among Land-birds. His long, sharp bill has 

 such incessant use that it is a wonder it does not 

 wear down and become short. 



