NUTHATCH 185 



them, pass their lives on the trunks of trees. The 

 tail differs from that of the Woodpeckers, however, 

 in that the feathers are soft, and not spiny, and there- 

 fore it is not used as a support for the body when 

 feeding. The Nuthatch is able to climb up and down 

 the trunks of trees with equal facility. See Plate 21, 

 Fig. 128. 



Holes in tree-trunks are generally used as nesting- 

 places, and at the bottom of the cavity a bed of dry 

 leaves is made on which the eggs are laid. When the 

 entrance is too large, the bird reduces it by the use of 

 mud to the desired size — a hole just large enough to 

 pass through. 



This bird receives its name from its habit of wedg- 

 ing nuts in crevices of the bark of trees and hammer- 

 ing, or hatching, them until the shell is broken. Dur- 

 ing a large part of the year insects form a considerable 

 portion of its diet, and hard seeds of many kinds are 

 also eaten. 



The White-breasted Nuthatch is a resident species 

 throughout eastern North America. It closely re- 

 sembles the European species figured. All the birds 

 of this family are of stocky build, have strong and 

 sharply pointed beaks, sharp claws fitted for climbing 

 and short, square tails. The White-breasted Nut- 

 hatch has the crest and forepart of the back glossy 

 black, the rest of the upper parts blue-grey, with some 

 white feathers in wings and tail. It nests in holes in 

 trees, like the Old World species, sometimes excavat- 

 ing them for itself, like the Woodpeckers. 



In winter this bird is frequently seen in the eastern 

 part of the United States in company with the Downy 



