84 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



large cage hung in the verandah. We watched for some 

 time behind some shrubs, and saw both old birds bring food 

 to the young in the cage. This somewhat curious circum- 

 stance is recorded in 'The Field' of October 4th, 1878. 

 When in confinement the Nuthatch is rather given to 

 killing small birds if put into the same cage. It is also 

 most pertinacious in its attempts to escape. 



When a boy I have more than once caught it in a brick- 

 trap and, when left too long, found that it had ground the 

 bill off about half its length. It is always in motion, running 

 with equal facility in all directions, and is as much at home 

 on the under as on the upper surface of a bough, or climbing 

 upwards or downwards on the main stem. Its note is a 

 cheery, and remarkably clear whistle, extremely variable, and 

 often so powerful that it may be heard from a long distance. 

 It betakes itself in winter to the woods, and particularly to 

 those of the oak, in the crevices of the bark of which it 

 fixes the nut or seed which it wishes to crack, in the per- 

 formance of which operation, it appears to throw its whole 

 weight on its object, and on having extracted the kernel, it 

 often leaves the shell so firmly fixed that it remains for 

 months; and after having deliberately picked the kernel to 

 pieces, it flies off in search of some other tempting morsel, 

 such as the body of the common chafer, which is the 

 favourite food of the young. The nest is almost always 

 composed of dead leaves, particularly of the oak or beech, or, 

 where obtainable, the laminae of the inner bark of the Scotch 

 fir, among which the eggs may be often found scattered 

 about, so that on visiting it one would suppose that no eggs 

 had been laid ; but a day or two before the bird begins to 

 sit on them, they are carefully placed together. Six eggs, or 

 seven, are the usual number for the first nest, though on a 

 few occasions I have found eight. In two instances I have 

 seen this bird entering and leaving a hole in a stone wall in 



