34. 



The Purple Finch, or as he is 

 more commonly called the Linnet, 

 appears in Massachusetts in early 

 March. At that time he seems to 

 be in the best of humor and his 

 happy blithesome song seems to be 

 sweeter than ever. 



He soon chooses a mate and they 

 generally begin nest building about 

 the 20th of May. Five eggs are 

 then laid which are the exact count- 

 erpart of those of the Hair bird, only 

 larger. ' The nest also resembles 

 that bird's being composed of small 

 twio-s and horse hair. 



C. H. A. 



For The Ornithologist. 



Canadian Wild Birds. 



By Wm. L. KELLS. 



II. 



THE WHITE-BELLIED NUTHATCH. 

 (SITTA CAROLIXENSIs). 



In color and size, and in some of 

 its habits this forest ranger resembles 

 the Titmouse. It has a straight and 

 pointed bill which it occasionally 

 employs like the woodpeckers to 

 perforate the bark of trees, and par- 

 ticularly to scale it off, in order to 

 secure the insects that may be con-, 

 cealed beneath. It climbs the trees. 

 in all directions with much agility; 

 the tail is short and turned upwards, 

 and is therefore of no assistance to 

 it in clinging to the sides of trees, 

 like those of the woodpeckers or 

 tree creepers. It has but one toe on 

 each foot directed backward and 

 three forward, it is therefore a true 

 perching bird, though its habits 

 much resemble those of the climbers. 

 It is sometimes amusing to watch 

 this bird perform its various evolu- 

 tions upon the tree, while in search 

 of food, or materials of which to 

 form its nest, running up and down 

 the trunk or among the branches, 

 it seems to make little difference to 

 them whether head or tails are 



uppermost, and at times, when 

 resting their feet cling to a piece of 

 bark or a branch with head down- 

 ward. Besides insects and their 

 produce this species feeds on various 

 kinds of seeds, nuts and fruit, and 

 upon the approach of cold weather 

 it has been observed to make holes 

 in decayed trees, and therein deposit 

 a quantity of seed, doubtless as a 

 provision in case of necessity during 

 the winter time for this species re- 

 mains in the woods of Canada 

 throughout the year and in the cold- 

 est periods takes refuge in the cav- 

 ities that it has made, or other holes 

 in trees. In the winter when the 

 weather is not very cold it is fre- 

 quently observed abroad searching 

 for food among the trees; at such 

 times it will sometimes visit barns 

 in the vicinity of its haunts; but 

 soon as the demands of hunger are 

 satisfied it again seeks the shelter of 

 its native woods. This bird is also 

 remarkable for the instinct it poss- 

 esses of fixing a nut in a crack while 

 it pierces it with the bill, swinging 

 the whole body at the same time, as 

 upon a pivot, in order to give effect 

 to each stroke. 



Early in the month of April, sev- 

 eral years ago, while I was engaged 

 sugar making, on the old homestead 

 farm in Peel, I observed two pair 

 of these birds busily engaged in 

 collecting materials for the building 

 of their nests in the vicinity of the 

 camp-fire. Both male and female 

 assisted in preparing a cradle for 

 their future progency, and a variety 

 of materials were collected for the 

 purpose; pieces of rough bark were 

 first used, then moss, fibers of bark 

 and a large quantity of hair com- 

 pleted the nest. After laboring for 

 an hour or two they would cease the 

 work of nest making and devote a 

 like period to procuring food, and 

 when the demands of hunger were 

 satisfied they would again commence 

 nestinsr. In about a week the nest 



