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388 



NUTHATCHES AND TITS. 



souroh for certain tidbits in the shaite of grubs or insects' eggs hidden 

 in the bark. 



There is such a hick of sentiment in tlie Nutiiatch's character, he 

 seems so matter-of-fact in all liis ways, that it is dillicult to inuigine 

 him indulging in anything like song. But even he can not withstand 

 the all-conquering influences of spring, and at that season he raises 

 his voice in a i)eculiar nionotone — a tenor hah-huh-liah-huh-hah — 

 sounding strangely like mirthless laughter. 



727b* S« C« atkinsi Scott. Floimda WfiiTE-nmcASTKi) Nituatcii. — 

 Siuiilur to the preceding', but somewliut siiiallcT, the w in^r-coverts and quills 

 but 8lii,'litly or not ut all tipped with w hitisli, the 9 w ith the top of the head 

 and nupe black, as in the $ . W., 3-;52; T., 1-80; B., -TO. 



liaiKje. — Florida, northward ou the Atlantic coast to southern South Caro- 

 lina. 



728. Sitta canardeneds Z/;/n. KEn-iuiEASTED Nuthatch. Ail. s . — 

 Top of the head and a wide airijje through the eye to the nape shininj; black ; 



a white line over the eye; upper parts 



bluish frray ; no black marks on the 



secoiularics ; outer tail-feathers black, 



with white patches near their tips; 



middle ones bluisli gray ; tliroat white ; 



rest of the under parts ochracenus-huf or rufoun. 



Ad. 9 . — Similar, but the top of the head and stripe 



throuirh tlm eye bluisli ^my, like the back ; under 



parts paler. L., 4-()'2 ; W., 'ilWi ; T., 2-r)S ; B., -.W. 



lidiufc. — Nortli .America; breeds from Mani- 

 toba and Maine northward, an< I southward alonj^ 

 the Allepfhanies to Virginia; winters from about the southern limit of its 

 breeding ranjje to the Gulf States. 



Wasliinjrton, irretrularly abundant W. V., sometimes rare, Sept. 1') to May 

 10. Sinjr Sinjr, irrcirular W. V., Aui,'. 8 to May 8. Cambridjjrc, irregular T. V. 

 and W. v., Sept. 1.5 to Nov. 25 , Nov. 25 to Apl. 1, or rarely May 5. 



Ax'.s'^, of fjrasses, in a hole in 'x tree or stump, /t'f/f/.", four to six, white or 

 creamy white, speckled with ciiuiamon-, ruf()Us-l)rown, and lavender, 'C^O x -47. 



While resembling the White-breasted Nuthatch, this more northern 

 species differs from it snfliciently both m notes and apj)earance to be 

 easily distinguished. Its black face-stripe is a noticeable character, 

 while to the trained ear its higher, finer, nu)re nasal, slightly drawled 

 ynn, yna is quite unlike the White-breast's vigorous ynitk, yank. The 

 Jled-breast has an evident partiality for jiine trees, and may bo seen 

 hovering about the cones while looking for a foothold fiom which to 

 extract their seeds. 



729« Sitta pusilla (Lnth.). Buown-headed NrTHATrn. yl</.— Top 

 and back of the head dark (jnii/itih hrow/i ; a wliitish patch on the nape ; no 



Fm. 113. - .{pd - breasted 

 Nuthatch. (Natural size.) 



