. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 192 HABITS OF THE NUTHATCH. inliabited by the griib of the nut weevil. It will also feed upon the seeds of different plants, especially preferring those which it pecks out of the lir-cones. Beech mast also seems grateful to its palate, and it will occasionally take to eating fruit. In order to extract the kernel of the nut, the bird fixes the fruit securely in some con- venient crevice, and, by dint of repeated hammerings with its beak, breaks a large ragged hole in the shell, through wh
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 192 HABITS OF THE NUTHATCH. inliabited by the griib of the nut weevil. It will also feed upon the seeds of different plants, especially preferring those which it pecks out of the lir-cones. Beech mast also seems grateful to its palate, and it will occasionally take to eating fruit. In order to extract the kernel of the nut, the bird fixes the fruit securely in some con- venient crevice, and, by dint of repeated hammerings with its beak, breaks a large ragged hole in the shell, through which the kernel is readily extracted. The blows are not merely given by the stroke of the beak, but the bird grasps firmly with its strong claws, and swinging its whole body upon its feet, delivers its stroke with the full weight and sway of the body. The beak, by means of which tliis feat is accomplished, is remarkably strong and power- ful, and can be used with a vigor and endurance that is quite astonishing. Many instances of its powers have been narrated, a mong which we may mention that one of these birds which had been cap- tured in a common brick trap, and had remained in its dark cell for some hours, was found when re- leased to have been deprived of one-third of its beak, which had evidently been ground away by the continual pecking which had been kept up at the bricks. The person who caught the bird and who narrated the tale is the Reverend Mr. Bree. Another of these birds that had been put into a cage, immediately began to hammer at the wooden supi;)orts of its prison, and although severely wounded in the wing, refused to cease from its exertions except to eat and drink, both of which operjitions it performed vdth the greatest coolness. For two days the poor bird continued to peck unceas- ingly at his cage, and at tlie close of the second day, sank under its extraordinary exertions. The Nuthatch is a capital climber of tree-ti-unks, even surpassing the creeper in the
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
