NUTHATCHES AND TITMICE. 67 



creatures they destroy is beyond calculation. As conservators of 

 forest and orchards there are few birds that compare with them. 

 The insects they destroy are largely those that feed upon the leaves, 

 blossoms, and fruit of trees, with some that bore into the wood or 

 burrow under the bark, thereby injuring or killing the tree itself. 

 On the other hand, they do not prey upon fruit, grain, or other prod- 

 uct of husbandry. The small amount of vegetable matter they eat 

 consists principally of small galls, whose destruction is a benefit, with 

 a few seeds and a little wild fruit. 



PYGMY NUTHATCH. 



(Sitta pygmcea.) 



The nuthatches are small, inconspicuous birds that live upon trees 

 and for the most part remain in forests or groves, though not rarely 

 visiting the orchard. While allied to titmice they form a fairly well- 

 defined group and can be easily distinguished from titmice proper. 

 As gymnasts they probably lead the avian world. After watching 

 their movements one might suppose that nature had quite exempted 

 them from the operation of the laws of gravity, as they move up or 

 down a tree with equal facility, or along the underside of a horizontal 

 branch where they inspect a promising knot hole or cranny, appar- 

 ently without the least idea that they are upside down. The food 

 they obtain from trees is of the same general character as that of the 

 rest of the titmouse family. 



Unfortunately only a few stomachs of these birds are at hand for 

 examination — enough, however, to give a general idea of the diet. 



The pygmy nuthatch is the smallest of the group, but as a 

 destroyer of noxious insects it is far from insignificant. Only 31 

 stomachs of this feathered midget are available for examination, but 

 the number is sufficient to bring out some strong points of the bird's 

 diet. The relative proportions of animal and vegetable food, as indi- 

 cated by the contents of these stomachs, are approximately 83 percent 

 of the former to 17 percent of the latter. 



Animal food. — The largest item of animal food is Hymenoptera, 

 composed mostly of wasps, with a few ants. They amount to about 

 38 percent of the whole. Next in order are Hemiptera, aggregating 

 23 percent. A large proportion of these belong to the family Cer- 

 copidse, commonly known as spittle-insects, from the fact that they 

 develop inside of a froth-like substance resembling saliva produced 

 in summer upon grass and various plants and trees. While none 

 of these insects have yet become pests, there can be no doubt _that 

 collectively they do considerable harm to plants, as sometimes they 

 are very abundant and subsist entirely upon their sap. 



