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The Nuthatch Sitta Jeu Picus cineru?. 



Numb. XXVUL. 



ITS Weight was one Ounce; its Length, from the Tip of the Billto the" End'of; 

 the Tail,"was five Inches and three quarters, to the End of the Toes fix Inches 5 the: 

 Bill was ftreight, triangular, black above, underneath towards the Throat white, al- 

 moft an Inch long, meafuring from the Tip to the Angles of the Mouth ; the Tongue; 

 broad, not longer than the Mouth, horny at the End and jagged, the Noftrils round: 

 and covered with fmali Briftles; the Head, Neck, and Back of an- Afh-colour ; the 

 Sides under the Wings red; the Throat and Bread: of a pale chefnut red; the lowsf 

 Belly under the Tail hath fome red Feathers with white Tips, from the Bill through 

 the Eyes to the Neck is extended a black Stroak; the Ghin is white. 



The Number of flag Feathers is nineteen, of which the firft is very ffiort and little;: 

 the interiour, or rhofe next the Body, have their Webs cinereous ; the exteriour dusky ;- 

 the Shafts of all are black : The Wings underneath are marked with a double Spot, 

 the one white at the Roots of the exteriour Quills, the other black and larger.beginning, 

 at the Infertion of the baftard Wing. 



The Tail is fhort, fcarce two Inches, made up of twelve Feathers, alh of equal; 

 Length, not fharp pointed, nor ftiff as in the Woodpeckers, but flexil and limber; the 

 two middlemoft cinereous, the two next to them black with cinereous Tips ; the tvv^o 

 fucceeding have the infide of their Tips white, the outfide cinereous ; the outmoft have 

 their Tips of a dark Afh-colour, and under that a tranfverfe white Spot,, the reft of the : 

 leathers being black. 



The Legs are fhort; both Legs and Feet, of a dark flefh Colour; It hath but oik;. 

 back Toe equal to the middle of the fore Toes; the Claws are great and crooked, and' 

 of a dusky Colour, that of the back Toe the biggeft, the outmoft fore. Toe. the lea&; ; 

 both outmoft and inmoft joined to the middle Toe at the Bottom. 



It had a mufculous Stomach or Gizzard, in which were Beetles and othei*- Infecls , ^ 

 the Length of the Guts was fix Inches and a half; the blmd Guts fhort. 



It builds in. Holes of Trees, and if the Entrance be too big, it doth artificially ftop • 

 up part of it with Clay, leaving a fmall Hole for it felf to pafs in' and out by. It - 

 feeds not only on Infedls, but alfo on Nut -Kernels: it is a pretty Spedacle to- 

 fee her fetch a Nut out of her Hoard, place it faft in a Chink, and then ftanding.. 

 above it, with her Head downwards, ftriking it with all its Force, breaks the Shell:, 

 and catches up the Kernell. . " 



V^£ 



