56 BRITISH BIRDS’ EGGS. 
Famity SITTIDA. 
COMMON NUTHATCH. 
Sirta cassia, Holf. 
Pl. X., figs. 16-18. 
Geogr. distr.—Central and Southern Europe; Siberia, Persia, and 
Algeria; England generally, though rare in the north-west and in 
Scotland; not recorded from Iveland, but common in the north of 
Wales. 
Food.—Insects, mast, nuts, and fruit. 
Nest.—A few dry oak leaves or fragments of fir-bark, and some- 
times a little grass. 
Position of nest.—In holes in trees, or occasionally stacks, the 
entrance being plastered up with mud or clay, until just large enough 
to admit the bird. 
Number of eggs.—5-7; usually 5. 
Time of nidification.—V-VII; May. 
This species is resident with us, inhabiting woods, 
sroves, and parks in the summer, but visiting orchards 
and gardens in the winter. It cracks nuts by fixing them 
in a crevice in a tree or post and striking them repeatedly 
with its bill; the sound of these strokes can be heard for 
some distance, and from this the bird has obtained its 
popular name. 
When sitting, the Nuthatch makes violent demonstra- 
tions in defence of her eggs or young, hissing and pecking 
at one’s fingers with unpleasant force; in this habit, as 
also in its manner of roosting with the head downwards, 
and in the position of its nest, it shows its affinity to the 
Tits. 
An interesting account illustrating the affection of the 
Nuthatch for its young was published by Mr. J. E. Harting 
in the ‘Field’ for October, 1873, p. 848. A friend of his, 
Mr. William Borrer, of Cowfield, near Horsham, put up 
some boxes in trees near his house in March, 1871, and 
next week two of them were taken possession of, each 
by a pair of Nuthatches. On visiting one of these boxes 
in June or July he found only two young birds nearly 
ready to fly; he then took the box indoors and left it for 
about an hour in the hall, the door being shut ; having got 
out his dogeart, he placed the box between his feet and 
started for Henfield, about 43 miles distant, and when 
half-way there saw a Nuthatch fly over the box close to 
