Australian Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society. 297 
_ The species of the Linnean group of Sitta, although few in 
number, appear to be found in all parts of the globe. They 
exhibit little differences among themselves in general characters. 
Our New Holland species perhaps deviates from the type of the 
genus, if we consider the S. Europea of Linnæus to hold that 
rank, more than any other species of the group. Its bill is more 
slender, and its wings more acuminated. The second quill- 
feather is nearly as long as the third, fourth, and fifth, which 
are almost equal, and it is longer than the sixth; whereas in 
the European species the same feather is much shorter than the 
third, and also falls short of the sixth. The Javanese species, 
S. frontalis, Horsf., approaches our bird most nearly in respect 
to these characters of the bill and wings. While the North 
American bird, S. Carolinensis, Briss., has nearly the same 
formation of wing as our species, but has the stronger and more 
lengthened bill of the European bird. 
— Fam. Cvcvurripz. 
Genus. Cucutus. Linn. et Auct. 
* Alis acuminatis, caudâ longiori, tarsis brevibus plumis 
tibiarum tectis. 
1. INonNATUs. C. cinereus, subtus pallidior, rectricibus fasciis 
albis utrinque denticulatis. 
Foem.? Saturatiori-cinerea ; nuchá, torqueque pectorali interrupto 
fusco ferrugineo-luteo variegatis ; tectricibus albo et ferru- 
gineo-luteo parcé notatis. | | 
Ale maculà longitudinali humerali notatæ. Remiges fasciis 
albis, usque ad tertiam partem longitudinis suæ, internè 
marginate. Tectrices inferiores albide. ^ Rectrices utrin- 
que maculis albis denticulatæ. Rostrum nigrum, basi pal- 
lidum. Pedes pallidi. Longitudo corporis, 121; ale a carpo 
VOL. XV. 2q : ad 
