Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/337

Rh at them for a considerable time. The same spot is usually resorted to by the Nuthatch as soon as it has proved to be a good and convenient one. A great object seems to be to procure the larvae entombed in the kernels of the hard fruits, insects being at all times the favourite food of these birds. They are fond of roosting in their own nest, to which I believe many return year after year, simply cleaning or deepening it for the purpose of depositing their eggs in greater security. Like others of the tribe, they hang head-downwards to sleep, especially in a state of cap- tivity.

The young obtain their full plumage during winter. The only dif- ferences between the male and the female are, a slight inferiority of the latter as to size, and a somewhat less depth of colouring. Like the other two species, they now and then alight on a top branch for an instant, in the manner used by other birds.

SiTTA CAEOLiNENSis, Linn. Sjst. Nat. voL i. p. 177 — Lath. Index Omith. vol. i. p. 262 Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 96.

Whitz-breasted Ameeican Nuthatch, Sitta caeolinensis, Wils. Amer. Or- nith. vol. 1. p. 10. pi. 2. fig. 3 — Nuttall, Manual, voL i. p. 581. Adult Male. Plate CLIL Fig. 1.

Bill straight, of the length of the head, very hard, conico-subidate, a little compressed, acute ; upper mandible with the dorsal outline very slightly arched, the edges sharp towards the point ; lower mandible smaller, of equal length, straight. Nostrils basal, round, half-closed by a membrane, partially covered by the frontal feathers. The general form is short and compact. Feet rather strong, the hind toe stout, and as long as the middle toe, with a strong hooked claw ; the claws arched, com- pressed, acute.

Plumage soft, blended, with little gloss, excepting on the head. Wings rather short, broad, the second primary longest. Tail short, broad, even, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill black, pale blue at the base of the lower mandible. Iris dark brown. Feet brown. The upper part of the head and the hind neck deep black, glossed with blue, that colour curving down on either side of the neck at its base. The back, wing, and tail-coverts, and middle feathers of the tail, light greyish-blue. Quills black, edged with bluish-grey ; three