M'THATCiL 63 



display their natural propensities upon whatever wood-work 

 may be used to confine them. Even in their wild state they 

 are far from shy, and may be approached pretty closely in 

 the 'sweet spring time,' when the male bird is engaged in 

 singing ditties 'to his mistress's eyebrow.' 



The Nuthatch does not often alight on the ground, though 

 it does so occasionally in search of food. It does not use 

 its tail as a rest in climbing trees, as the Woodpeckers do, 

 but its claws are sufficiently prehensile and adhesive to enable 

 it to traverse the trunks of trees in every direction, not only 

 upwards like those birds, but downwards also. Its not 

 requiring the help of its tail for the 'facilis descensus,' is 

 doubtless the reason of its organization being such as to 

 enable it to do without its aid at all. It supports itself 

 mainly on the hind part of the leg, and what may be called 

 the heel. Its posture on the tree is straight, and close to 

 the bark, and it does not aid its progress by an occasional 

 hop, as is the case with the Woodpeckers, but steps along 

 quickly and smoothly. It flies rather rapidly, with an undu- 

 lating motion, if to any distance, but otherwise, in a straight 

 line, with flapping wings. 



Xuts are its favourite food. It also feeds on berries, acorns, 

 beech-mast, seeds, barley, oats, and other grain, beetles and 

 other insects, and caterpillars, and, according to Bewick, will 

 pick bones; and lays up in different little granaries, a supply 

 of food against a day of want. 



The note sounds like the syllables 'quit, quit,' and it is 

 uttered repeatedly while the 'ups and downs' of the bird are 

 being quietly and stealthily performed upon the tree on which 

 it seeks its sustenance. 



The nest is placed in some hole in a tree. If the entrance 

 is too large they narrow it with clay, until it is of the right 

 width. It is lined with dry leaves, the scales of fir-cones, 

 moss, bits of bark and wood, and sometimes a little gr^ass. 



The eggs, from five to seven, or eight or nine in number, 

 of an oval form, are greyish wliite, spotted, and sometin ..-> 

 much blotted with reddish brown. 



Male; weight, about six drachms; length, about five inches 

 and three quarters; bill, dark lead-colour, dusky at the tip, 

 dingy white at the base of the lower part; it is verv hard 

 and pointed: a black streak runs from it through the 'eye to 

 the shoulder; iris, bright chesnut; over it is a white band: 

 head, crown, neck on the back, and nape, light slate-colour; 



