126 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, 
simple quenk, quenk, or kenk, kenk, the enunciation lacking neither force nor a peculiar 
metallic ring. 
Its food consists chiefly of the eggs, larve, and imagos of inse¢ts, which lie 
hidden in the crevices of the bark. To obtain these dainty morsels, the bird assumes all 
possible ‘attitudes, at times reminding the observer of the Woodpeckers, then again of the 
Titmice. The Woodpeckers never climb head downward; ‘while the Nuthatches scramble 
about in every imaginable attitude, running down the trunks of trees, or along the 
under side of branches, with the same ease with which they climb upward. When 
reversed in position, they are still unlike the Titmice and other small birds which 
momentarily hang suspended by their claws; for they appear to ‘hug’ the tree as closely 
as they do in any other posture. They are among the most nimble as well as adroit 
of creepers, matching any of our birds in activity and restless energy—a Woodpecker, for 
instance, is almost a sedate bird in comparison. Though not properly gregarious, they 
are sociable birds, and often gather in troops, with which Titmice, Kinglets and various 
Warblers may also mix. They are confined to woodland, and will be found oftener in 
high forests, on the larger trees, than in the undergrowth. In their relations to man, 
these birds are heedless and familiar, as if they trusted to his good will in return for 
their valuable services they render him in destroying incalculable numbers of noxious 
insects—a confidence too often abused by the vulgar and ignorant, who harbor against 
them the same prejudice that exists against the Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus), the innocent 
and industrious Nuthatches being supposed to injure trees, when the fact is, they spend 
the whole of their laborious lives in man’s service. Instances are known of some 
Nuthatches becoming so tame, when they are appreciated and properly treated, as to 
almost take food from the hand.” (Dr. Elliott Coues.) 
Besides inse¢ts, they feed upon various hard fruits, such as beech-nuts, the seeds 
of conifers, &c. The nidification is not different from that of the typical Titmice. They 
always nest in holes of trees and stumps, preferring abandoned Woodpeckers’ holes, 
though very often digging holes for themselves. The nest is a warm and soft structure, 
consisting of.a mixture of fine rootlets, feathers, hair, pieces of fur and moss. The eggs, 
five to six in number, are pearly-white, speckled and blotched with different shades of 
brown and lavender. Often the markings are distributed evenly over the surface, but 
generally they form a wreath-like band around the larger end. 
The White-bellied Nuthatch ranges from the Eastern States to the Rocky Moun- 
tains. Mr. W. W. Cooke in his admirable book “Bird Migration of the Mississippi 
Valley” says, “that the 97th Meridian very nearly bounds its western range, and beyond 
this line it is only met with as a straggler.”” I have seen it only sparingly in south- 
western Missouri. It is not precisely known how far it breeds southward. Prof. Wm. 
Brewster, of Harvard University, found it rarely near Highlands, N. C. 
In the West, from the Plains to the Pacific, and south into Mexico, it is represented 
by a distinct variety, the SLENDER-BILLED NUTHATCH, Sitta carolinensis aculeata ALLEN. 
In the mountains, this bird has been observed up to the limits of arboreal vegetation. 
“They seem to descend from the more elevated regions in the autumn, but there is no 
regular migration. We know, that the birds endure extreme cold with impunity, since they 
remain all winter about Colville, sometimes braving a temperature of—30° F.” (Coues.) 
