Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/555

 NUTMEG 541 America to the highest central plains, re- placed to the west by a variety which differs chiefly in the more slender hill ; in the south- ern states two broods are hatched in a sea- son ; the notes are very nasal. The red-bellied nuthatch (8. Canadensis, Linn.) is 4 in. long, with an extent of wings of 8 in. ; the upper parts are ashy blue, with the top of the head black, a white line above and a black line through the eye; chin white, and rest of under .parts brownish rusty. The eggs are white, sprinkled with reddish dots. This very restless and active bird is spread over North America from South Carolina to Nova Scotia, from the Atlantic probably to the Pacific. Some remain all winter in the northern states, coming into the roads and farm yards in search European Nuthatch (Sitta Europaea). of seeds. The European nuthatch (S. Europaa, Linn.) is one of the largest of the genus, being 6 in. long, with an extent of wings of 10, and bill three fourths of an inch ; the upper parts are bluish gray, with the throat and cheeks white, loral space and a band behind the eye black; lower parts light reddish yellow, and sides brownish red. Its manners are the same ; the tail is not used as a support either in ascending or descending trees. It is some- times kept in wire cages for its activity, cun- ning, and drollery. The bill of the nuthatches is so powerful that it is used for breaking the shells of nuts, which they fix in a cleft or hol- low, whence they are sometimes called nut- crackers, a name which properly belongs to the genus nucifraga. The French call them torche-pots, from their habit of plastering up with yellow clay (torchis) the apertures of holes in trees which are too open to make comfort- able nests. Unlike the woodpeckers, they de- scend trees head foremost, in which they must find great assistance in the long hind toe. NUTMEG (Fr. noix muscade), the seed of the tree myristica fragrans, which has also been called M. moschata, M. officinalis, &c. The genus myristica is now placed in an order by itself, the myristicece, which is exogenous and apetalous, and closely related to the laurel family. All of the genus are tropical, being most abundant in the islands of Asia, though Nutmeg Flower and Leaf (Myristica fragrans). some are found in tropical America. The true nutmeg tree is 20 to 30 ft. high, and has much the aspect of a pear tree ; its smoothish gray bark abounds in a yellowish juice. The slight- ly aromatic leaves are petioled and alternate, 5 to 6 in. long, oblong, acute at the apex, entire, dark green and somewhat shining above, and whitish beneath. The tree is dio3cious, but except when in flower the two sexes are not distinguishable. The male or staminate flow- ers are in small clusters of three to five, much resemble in shape and size those of the lily of the valley, and have three to five teeth at the apex; they are fleshy, pale yellow, very fragrant, and within have about 11 stamens, 1. Nutmeg Fruit. 2. Seed with its arillus. 3. Seed cut vertically. the filaments of which are united to form a column surmounted by a disk, to the edges of which the anthers are attached. The pistillate flowers are externally similar to the staminate,