A Provident Nuthatch — Visiting Central Park on the morning of 

 November 28, 1898, after a snowfall of 9I inches, I carried a quantity of 

 bread for the birds, and nuts for the squirrels. The squirrels did not 

 appear until nearly noon, but the birds were quite ready for breakfast at 

 9.30 A. M. While crumbling bread for the White-throated Sparrows, who 

 were exceedingly hungry and gave loud calls of delight, summoning 

 their friends to the spot, a fine Fox Sparrow came and ate greedily. 



In a few moments a White-breasted Nuthatch came and hopped about 

 on a tree trunk, calling, you/i, you/i, you/i, rapidly, as if greatly pleased, 

 then he flew to the snow, seized as large a piece of bread as he could 

 carry, and flew higli up in a tree some distance away. I expected to see 

 him eat it, although in all my experience with birds in bad weather I 

 had never seen a Nuthatch eat bread, though they often eat bits of nuts 

 thrown to them, and are very tame. This wise fellow hunted till he 

 found a suitable cranny, then poked in his bread, and hammered it down 

 several times with his bill. When he got it well stored, he went back to 

 the tree near me, calling you/i, youA, as if to say, " more please." Then I 

 threw him a piece of pecan nut in the shell, and he took it at once, flew 

 to another tree and looked till he found a hole, hammered it down as he 

 did the bread, and returned for more. After the operation had been 

 repeated many times, I was forced to walk and warm my feet, for the 

 birds were so fascinating I had stood an hour in the snow. 



Returning to the spot sometime afterward, the White-throats were 

 singing, and the Fox Sparrow was tuning up too. As they were still 

 feeding, I crumbled more bread, and soon the Nuthatch reappeared, 

 and at intervals carried off pieces of nuts, storing each in a separate 

 tree. 



When my bread and pecans were distributed, I walked away and found 

 some squirrels and gave them chestnuts. Mr. Nuthatch appeared again, 

 and came low down on a vine, hanging his head off sideways, and calling 

 loudly to attract attention. I threw him half a chestnut which he took 

 immediately, and after a long search found a safe place in a cherry tree. 

 He went off awhile, but later returned and took a whole chestnut and 

 went so far I lost sight of him. I walked away and returned in a half- 

 hour to the place. The Nuthatch came again and called, and took chest- 

 nuts several times and, hid them. 



Since writing the above the Nuthatch appeared on three consecutive 

 days, and took bread and nuts many times and hid them. Unfortunately 

 a friend and I saw a squirrel find his cache, and rob him twice. 



Can any reader tell me if it is possible for Nuthatches to store their 

 treasures where squirrels cannot get at them? — F. Huberta Foote, 

 JVerv York City. ^^^^ ^YI, July. 1899. 



