40 BIRDS 



the scaly bark; but the nuthatches can climb to all but in- 

 accessible places. With the help of the hooks on their 

 toes it does not matter to them whether they run upward, 

 downward, or sidewise; and they can stretch their bodies 

 away from their feet at some very queer angles. Their long 

 bills penetrate into deep holes in the thick bark of the tree 

 trunks and older limbs and bring forth from their hiding 

 places insects that would escape almost every other bird 

 except the brown creeper and the woodpecker. Of course, 

 when any feathered acrobat is performing in the trees, he 

 is working hard to pick up a dinner, not exercising merely 

 for fim. 



The Red-breasted Nuthatch 



The most familiar nuthatch, in the eastern United 

 States, is the one with the white breast; but in the Northern 

 states and Canada there is another common winter neigh- 

 bor, a smaller compactly feathered, bluish gray gymnast 

 with a pale rusty breast, a conspicuous black line running 

 apparently through his eye from the base of his bill to the 

 nape of his neck, and heavy white eyebrows. This is the 

 hardy little red-breasted nuthatch. {See page 84.) His 

 voice is pitched rather high and his drawling notes seem 

 to come from a lazy bird instead of one of the most vigor- 

 ous and spry little creatures in the wood. The nasal ank- 

 ank of his white-breasted cousin is uttered, too, without 

 expression, as if the bird were compelled to make a sound 

 once in a while against his wiU. Both of these cousins have 

 similar habits. Both are a trifle smaller than the English 

 sparrow. In summer they merely hide away in the woods 

 to nest, for they are not migrants. It is only when nesting 

 duties are over in the autunm that they become neighborly. 



