PASSERES S1TTIDAE SITTA PYGM^A. 



175 



the Pigmy or Slender-billed varieties, it was still by no means rare Its 

 habits, while differing in no notable degree from those of its allies, are pos- 

 sessed of even more of the energy and restless activity which belong to the 

 whole tribe ; and at this, the nesting, season, the males especially were busy 

 from morning till night roving about among the pines and aspens, engaged 

 in hunting not only on their own account, but also for their mates engaged 

 in the cares of incubation. In these duties, however, both sexes take part, 

 and the females were occasionally found abroad while their place on the 

 nest was filled by the males. The single nest examined was found in a 

 small pine stub, a few feet from the ground. The hole was excavated in 

 the rotten wood to the depth of five inches, no especial care having been taken 

 to render this smooth and symmetrical, and was thoroughly lined at bottom, 

 with fine shreds of pine bark. The eggs, five in number, were far advanced 

 toward hatching ; color grayish white, thinly spotted with reddish dots, 

 confluent at the larger end. 



SITTA PYGJLEA, Vig. 



California Nuthatch. 



Sitta . pygma-a, VIGORS, Zool. Beechey's Voy., 1839, 25, pi. iv. WOODU.. Sitgreave's 

 Exp. Zufii & Col. Riv., 1854, CO. NEWB., P. E. R. Rep., vi, 1857, 79. BD., 

 Ives' Col. Exped., 1857-58, pt. iv, (J.Id., Birds N. A., 1858, 378. KENNERLY, 

 P. 11. R. Hep., Whipple's Route, 1859, 2G. HENRY, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 PUila., 1859, 107 (New Mexico). COOP. & SUCKL., P. R. R. Rep., xii, pt. ii, 

 I860, 193. BD., Rev. Am. Birds, i, 18G4, 88. COUES, Proc. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci. Phila., 1800, 78 (Fort Wbipple). COOPER, Am. Nat., iii, 1869, 74 

 (Montana). M, Birds Cal., i, 1870, 55. COUES, Key N. A. Birds, 1872, 

 83, f. 27. AIKEN, Proc. Bost, Soc. Nat. Hist , 1872, 195. YARROW, Rep. 

 Orn. Specs., 1871, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 34. YARROW & HENSHAW. Rep. 

 Urn. Specs., 1872, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 8. BD., BREW., & RIDG., N. A. 

 Birds, i, 1874, 120, pi. viii, f. 11, app. 502. COUES, U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., 

 Birds Northwest, 1874, 25. 



Sitta pusilla var. pygmcca, ALLEN, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1872, 174 (mountains of 

 Colorado). HENSHAW, An. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., xi, 1874. Id, An. List 

 Birds Utah, 1872, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 40. Id., Rep. Oru. Specs., 1873, 

 Wheeler's Exped.. 1874, 73, 100. 



