168 THE NUTHATCH. 



door weathercock, so that this belief can hardly yet liave died 

 out. 



DR. SAYEE informs us that the term Heitre is used to signify 

 the Kingfisher, in the Mythology of Scandinavia ; hence, in his 

 Descent of Fren, he makes that goddess, addressing Niord, the 

 Gothic Neptune, say 



" But soon the jarring thunders cease, 



Soon the winged tempests flee ; 

 Thor on the breezes whispers peace ; 



Sunbeams gild the sinking sea ; 

 O'er its white brim, on calmy wing, 

 The Heitre played." 



And this reminds us of these quaint, but sweet lines, of our old 

 pastoral poet, WILLIAM BKOWNE 



" Blow, but gently blow, faire winde, 



From the forsaken shore, 

 And be as to the Halcyon kinde, 

 Till we are ferried o'er." 



TAMEABLE WHEN OLD. 

 64. THE NUTHATCH. 



Sitta Europasa, LIN. Sittelli ou le Terchepot, BUF. Der Gemeine 

 Kluber, BEOH. 



Description. The Nuthatch is almost as large as a Sky 

 Lark, being six inches and a half in length, of which the tail 

 measures only one inch and a half. The beak is nine lines 

 long, strong, straight, and somewhat compressed at the point. 

 The upper mandible is steel blue, the lower mandible blueish 

 white ; the iris greyish brown ; the feet yellowish grey, and 

 provided with very strong claws. The forehead is blue, but 

 only in the male ; the rest of the upper part of the body, and 

 the wing coverts, are blueish grey. The cheeks and the 

 throat are white ; and a black stripe runs from the root of the 

 beak, between the eyes, to the back. The breast and belly 

 are dark orange ; the feathers of the sides, thighs, and vent, 

 cinnamon brown ; the last mentioned being tipped with yel- 

 lowish white. The pen feathers are blackish. Of the tail 

 feathers, which are twelve in number, the two in the centre 

 are the colour of the back ; those at the sides are black ; the 

 two exterior ones have a white streak near the point, and are 

 tipped with blueish grey. 



