Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/188

152 and have eggs about the middle of that month, while in South Carolina they breed about a month later.

The nest is usually excavated by the birds themselves, in the dead portion of a low stump or saphng, sometimes only a few feet from the ground, but not unfrequently so high as thirty or forty feet. The little creatures work in concert, with great earnestness, for several days, until the hole, which is round, and not larger at its entrance than the body of the bird, is dug ten or twelve inches deep, and widening at the bottom. The eggs are laid on the bare wood ; they are from four to six, white, with reddish dots, and scarcely larger than those of the Humming Bird. They frequently raise three broods in the season, bvit more commonly two.

Extremely careless at the presence of man, who indeed seldom molests them, they often peep at him when at the distance of only a few feet ; yet when apprehensive of danger, they instantly fly off or ascend the tree, and are out of sight in an instant.

Their flight is similar to that of the other species, and like them they frequently utter their notes while on the wing. Now and then they are seen on the ground, where they hop and turn over the dead leaves in search of their food, which consists entirely of insects and their larvae. The young of this species do not acquire the brown colour of the head until the approach of spring, when no difference is observable be- tween the sexes.

SiTTA PUSILLA, Lath. Iiid. Ornith. vol. i. p. 263 Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 97.

Brown-headed Nuthatch, Sitta pusilla, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 105, pi. 15. fig. 2 — Nuttall, Manual, vol. i. p. 584.

Adult Male. Plate CXXV. Fig. 1.

Bill of moderate leng'th, strong, subcorneal, compressed, the tip abrupt and wedge-shaped ; upper mandible slightly convex in the dorsal outline, the sides sloping, the edges acute ; dorsal outline of lower mandible straight. Nostrils basal, lateral, oblong. General form short and robust. Feet rather short and strong ; tarsus compressed, anteriorly scutellate, behind sharp; toes free, scu tell ate above, the hind toe strong; claws arched, compressed, acute, that of the hind toe large.