A Study of a White-Breasted Nuthatch 21 



ways and exerts a prying action on the nut, much as a man 

 who has driven a pick-axe into the ground, raises the tip of 

 the handle to free the pick and pry open the earth. Should 

 a bit of the splintered nut fall over the edge of the shelf, the 

 Nuthatch follows it like a flash, overtakes it in the air and 

 catches it in his bill. 



Until the latter part of December both Nuthatches came 

 several times a day to the food-shelf. The female was dis- 

 tinctly larger and broader than her mate, but in spite of her 

 greater size she seemed afraid of him ; she always left the 

 shelf when he approached and never attempted to return un- 

 til he had gone. 



The two birds, however, paid very little attention to each 

 other, — they came to the shelf separately, ate what food they 

 wanted, but rarely took any away. The female bird was last 

 seen on December 26th, 1913. The male continued his reg- 

 ular visits throughout the winter. Until April 7th, 191^, his 

 behavior was the same as it had been all winter; — he came to 

 the shelf for food, ate what food he wanted, and flew ofT. On 

 April 7th, however, his manner changed completely ; he be- 

 came all at once very busy and seemed full of importance. 

 As soon as we put out a cracked nut he appeared on the shelf, 

 snatched up and swallowed the smaller pieces of the meat 

 and carried ofif the larger ones. These he wedged into cran- 

 nies of bark and came back for more. As fast as we put out 

 nuts, he transferred them to near-by trees. The next day we 

 discovered the reason for his change in actions, — a female 

 Nuthatch was nonchalantly hopping about the branches near 

 the window. 



The male was all devotion ; he carried bits of nut to her 

 and placed them in her bill ; he stored dozens of pieces in 

 branches near at hand ; he sang continually. Several times 

 also he posed before her in courting attitude. This position, 

 while rather awkward to human eyes, did reveal his plumage 

 wonderfully. The full courting display is accompanied by 

 song. The male bird, with the feathers of his nape pufTed out 

 so that they resemble a rough black mane, takes a stifif pose 



