172 



USEFUL BIRDS. 



Fig. 54. — White-breasted Nuthatch, two-thirds 

 natural size. 



become a frequenter of orchard and shade trees, and is com- 

 monly seen along village streets in fall, winter, spring, and 

 sometimes even in midsummer, although comparatively few 

 „. M& ,,,. breed in the State. In 



(Jffe, the fall it may be seen 

 here and there in the 

 woods or orchards, often 

 in company with Chick- 

 adees and other tree 

 gleaners. In winter 

 this species is almost 

 always engaged during 

 daylight in a diligent 

 search over the trunks and larger limbs of trees, particularly 

 on the rough bark of the larger trunks, where it finds a 

 great part of its insect food. In one instance, where a 

 workman had pared off most of the outer bark from a large 

 oak, two of these Nuthatches were seen busily engaged for 

 two days in searching and delving among the pile of bark 

 chips left on the ground. 



This Nuthatch is the particular guardian of the deciduous 

 trees, preferring the oak, chestnut, elm, and other hard-wood 

 trees to the pine. It also frequents old orchards, where the 

 rough bark affords concealment for many injurious insects, 

 and offers a good foothold. It is a cheerful bird, and often 

 manifests much curiosity. It will sometimes come quite 

 near any one who attracts its attention, and, hanging head 

 downward on trunk or limb, utter its nasal quank, quank, 

 — a peculiar, weird sound, somewhat like the quack of a 

 duck, but higher keyed and with less volume, having rather 

 a musical twang. 



No other native birds are so often seen upside down as are 

 the Nuthatches. Audubon and Wilson both say that these 

 birds sleep in this position. In winter the White-breast 

 passes the night in some cleft or hollow in a tree trunk. 

 Dr. Gr. V. Harvey of California says that one evening he 

 saw twenty-nine White-breasted Nuthatches come singly to 

 an old, dead, yellow pine, alight upon a knot, and vanish into 

 a large crack in the trunk. They came at quite regular in- 



