NUTHATCH. 25 



chest. Back and wings olive-brown. Tail brown ; under 

 parts dull, more buffy on the flanks. Bill black. Feet lead- 

 colour. Length 4 in. Female less defined crest and less 

 black on throat. Young like female, but no crest. 



Language. Call-note " see-see-see," then " tur-re-re-re-re," 

 given in a trilling manner. 



Habits. Very like the other Tits, and confining its atten- 

 tions chiefly to fir-trees and the like. 



Food. Insects and their larvae, seeds, and berries. 



Nest. April onwards. Probably two broods. 



Site. In hole in fir-tree excavated by the bird, behind bark 

 on a decaying tree and the like. 



Materials. Dry grass, moss, feathers, fur, hair, &c., felted 

 together. 



Eggs. Five to eight. White, well spotted, speckled, and 

 often zoned with reddish brown. 



Family SITTIDM. 



NUTHATCH (Sitta cccsia). 



Kesident. Well distributed generally; commoner in 

 southern and midland counties ; much rarer towards the 

 north. Unknown in Ireland. 



Haunts. Well-wooded districts. 



Plumage. Upper parts slaty grey. Black stripe from base 

 of mandibles through eye and down sides of neck. Cheeks 

 and throat white ; under parts buffish chestnut. Outer tail- 

 feathers black with white spot near end. Tail short. Bill 

 horn-colour. Legs brown. Hind claws hooked. Length 

 5 in. Female duller. Young duller still. 



Language. Song, a bubbling twitter, and reminds one of 

 the noise produced by throwing a stone across the frozen 

 surface of a pond. Call-note, a sharp shrill " whit." 



Habits. It spends most of its time creeping about tree- 

 trunks searching bark crevices for food. It proceeds in a 

 series of quick jerks, and is not particular whether it goes 

 upwards or comes down head first. It wedges nuts into the 

 interstices of the bark and hammers sharply at them with its 

 beak until the kernel can be extracted. When alarmed it usually 

 places the trunk between itself and the spectator, and con- 

 sequently is more often heard than seen. Flight undulating 

 and not very rapid. 



Food. Insects and their larvag, nuts, kernels, beech-mast ; 

 in winter it feeds like, and often in company with, Sparrows 

 and Tits, on scraps and refuse found near houses. 



Nest. April. Probably one brood only. 



