Sltta parol inens is . 



Concord, Fass. Bulldins rxest. 



IQQQ I started for Ball's Hill at the usual time but v/as de- 



Apr. 7. tained at North Bridge for over an hour which I spent viatching 

 a pair of Nuthatches. The female was busily engaged most of 

 this time in bring in^s out some long, fibrous material (which 

 looked like fine shreds of inner bark) from a hole high up 

 (40 to 45 ft. ) in the old elm which stands at the east end of 

 the bridge. This hole was apparently an old loiot hole which 

 had been enlarged by Red Squirrels for its edges showed the 

 marks of their teeth. I think the Nuthatch was removing their 

 nest for the material looked like the bark shreds which they 

 use but I was puzzled by the fact that the Kuthatch instead 

 of dropping these shreds carried them in large bills-full to 

 the upper side of the branch where she spread them out and 

 tamped them down with some care. She had evidently been at 

 work for some time for when I arrived the vipper side of the 

 branch was covered v/ith the strands for a space of tvTO feet 

 long by six or eight inches wide. It occurred to me that 

 possibly she had spread them out here to dry for otherwise 

 why did she not fling them down to the gro\ind? Moreover she 

 deposited them on the sunny side of the branch. After fin- 

 ishing this work she flew away with her mate. T,^en I returned 

 from my trip down river late in the afternoon only one small 

 patch - less than a tenth of the total material - remained on 



