3 8 WHITE-BREASTED, BLACK-CAPPED NUTHATCH. 



black passing through the eye, half way down the neck ; the 

 present species has nothing of the kind, but appears with the 

 inner webs of the three shortest secondaries and the primaries 

 of a jet black ; the latter tipt with white, and the vent and 

 lower parts of the thighs of a rust colour : the European, 

 therefore, and the present, are evidently two distinct and dif- 

 ferent species.* 



This bird builds its nest early in April, in the hole of a tree, 

 in a hollow rail in the fence, and sometimes in the wooden 

 cornice under the eaves; and lays five eggs of a dull white, 

 spotted with brown at the greater end. The male is extremely 

 attentive to the female while sitting ; supplying her regularly 

 with sustenance, stopping frequently at the mouth of the hole, 

 calling and offering her what he has brought, in the most 

 endearing manner. Sometimes he seems to stop merely to 

 inquire how she is, and to lighten the tedious moments with 

 his soothing chatter. He seldom rambles far from the spot ; 

 and when danger appears, regardless of his own safety, he flies 



produce a rather numerous brood. The male attends carefully during 

 the time. According to Montagu, our British species chooses the de- 

 serted habitation of some woodpecker. " The hole is first contracted by 

 a plaster of clay, leaving only sufficient room for itself to pass out and 

 in ; the nest is made of dead leaves, chiefly those of the oak, which are 

 heaped together without much order. If the barrier of plaster at the 

 entrance is destroyed "when they have eggs, it is speedily replaced, — a 

 peculiar instinct to prevent their nest being destroyed by the wood- 

 pecker, and other birds of superior size, which build in the same man- 

 ner." Or, as Mr Rennie, in his late edition of the same work, thinks 

 probable, the wall may be to prevent the unfledged young from tum- 

 bling out of the nest when they begin to stir about. It is probable 

 that the nuthatch does not look forward to any of these considerations ; 

 and although the effects above mentioned may be in reality the conse- 

 quence, I should conceive the hole contracted as being really too large, 

 and as increasing the heat and apparent comfort within. When roost- 

 ing, they sleep with the head and back downwards, in the manner of 

 several titmice. — Ed. 



* "Wilson is perfectly correct in considering this species as distinct 

 from that of Europe ; he has marked out the distinctions well in the 

 description. It is described by Vieillot as Sitta melanocephala. — Ed. 



