RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 
728. Sitta canadensis. 4% inches. 
Range. —North America, breeding in the northern part 
of the United States and northward. Like the former, these 
are great acrobats, looking into every crevice of the bark 
in search of their supply of food, caring little whether they 
are going up or down in their search. After the breeding sea¬ 
son these birds are often found in flocks about the coniferous 
trees, and appear to be very sociable, keeping up a con¬ 
tinuous “yank, yank, ?7 among themselves. They have no 
other song. 
Their nest is usually placed in a cavity of some tree at 
quite an elevation from the ground, being lined with strips 
of bark and feathers. They lay from four to six white eggs, 
thickly spotted with shades of brown (.60 x.50). 
PYGMY NUTHATCH. 
730. Sitta pygmcea. 4 inches. 
Range.—West of the Rockies, from British Columbia to 
southern California and Mexico, breeding throughout its range. 
These are the smallest of the family, and their habits and 
nest and eggs are the same as the preceding. Their eggs 
being slightly smaller. 
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