These nuthatches remained near the house for the whole summer, rarely wandering, till one fatal day, at the beginning of the sporting season, in autumn, they no sooner heard the report of a gun than they disappeared, and were never again seen. It is possible that fear alone had driven them so far that they could not find their way home again; they did not know that there they would have been in greater safety.
If these birds are left at liberty in the room, they are accustomed, like the tits, to hide the greater part of what is given to them, to keep it for another meal; but their trick of piercing holes in the wood makes them inconvenient, and therefore it is better to keep them in a cage.
Breeding.—The nuthatch builds its nest in the holes of old trees, and lays six or seven eggs spotted with red.
Mode of Taking.—As it has the same taste for hemp seed and oats as the tits, it may often be caught in the same snare; it may also be taken in the area or barn floor trap. Its call is “gru, dek, dek.”
Attractive Qualities.—Its plumage, liveliness, agility, and great cunning in catching and hiding its food, are its most agreeable qualities.
NUTHATCH CLAW.
