WHITE-BREASTED NUT-HATCH 



381 



breast, white; sides, washed with brownish yellow. The length 

 is about five and one-half inches. 



It nests in old stumps and decayed trees, preferably birch; 

 the holes are generally not far from the ground. 



In addition to its cheerful "chick-a-dee-dee," it has a number 

 of other notes, some of them extremely musical. (See figure 380, 

 and plate 4.) 



House Wren. This charming little bird (Fig. 381), always 

 ready to accept hospitality from our citizens, feeds almost 

 entirely upon insects. Spiders also form a large part of its diet. 



It will readily occupy any small bird-house provided for it. 



FIG. 380. Chickadee. 



The entrance to such a bird-houses should be exactly the size of 

 a quarter of a dollar, which allows the wren to enter but keeps 

 out the English sparrow. 



The wren reaches the northern tier of states about the last of 

 April. 



White-Breasted Nut-Hatch (Plate 2, Fig. 5). It is one of 

 the few of our birds which is commonly seen " climbing " down 

 as well as up a tree. It is about six inches long. It is gray, with 

 white under parts; top of head, black; back, bluish. This species 

 ranges practically all over the entire United States and Mexico. 



Over one-half of its food consists of insects. It nests in holes 

 in trees, and suitable nests can be made to imitate these. 



This is one of the few birds which remain in the most northern 



