USEFUL BIRDS 
9 
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 
(Plate I, Fig'. 5.) 
The only one of our birds which is commonl}^ seen “climbing” 
down a tree as well as up. About six inches long, gray with white 
under part; top of head, black; back, bluish. Ranges practically 
over the entire Fuiited States and Mexico. Over one-half of its 
food consists of insects. Nests in holes in trees. This is one of the 
few birds which remain with us over winter, at which time we fre- 
quently hnd it associating with chickadees, downy Avoodpeckers, 
kinglets, and brown creepers. Its rather coarse note frequently re- 
peated has been likened to the word “yank” repeated, with a nasal 
sound. A close cousin of this bird, the red-breasted nuthatch, has 
a somewhat more northerly range. The writer has collected both 
old and young of the red-breasted nuthatch at St. Vincent in 
August, and it perhaps finds there its southern limit in this State. 
CHIPPING SPARROW; “CHIPPIE.” 
( Plate I, Fig. 6.) 
One of our most common garden birds ; uno1)trusive, useful and 
welcome; easily recognized by its modest grayish and brownish 
colors and the chestnut or bay patch on top of head. Furthermore, 
it is very friendly ; its somewhat monotonous “chipping” note is a 
common sound in many gardens and dooryards in this country. 
Fats seed in the fall, at which time its colors change somewhat. 
During the summer, it helps destroy various insects, including cater- 
pillars, beetles, plant lice, etc. The chipjfing si)arrow is a little over 
five inches long. Nests in trees or vines near house or in garden 
or orchard; nest generally lined with horsehair; eggs, four or five, 
bluish, with blackish or lorownish markings. In June it is claimed 
93 per cent of its food consists of insects. 
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 
(Plate 2, Fig. 7.) 
A shy bird with black and long tail a fashionable brown ; under 
parts, white; lower half of bill, yellow, except at tip. Constructs 
a loose nest of twigs and lays therein, three, four, or five pale-green 
eggs, unmarked. This bird is generally silent but at times gives 
utterance to a note repeated in such a way that it sounds like some 
one calling the cows. Because this is heard sometimes in lowering 
weather preceding rain, the bird is called by many “rain crow.” 
