254 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



Nuthatch. Breeds from Georgia and the Gulf States (except 

 coast belt) northward. Non-migratory except in the more 

 northern portions of its range. 



In Missouri a common resident inhabiting the woods in the 

 breeding season and visiting orchards, gardens, cornfields and 

 farms in winter often in company with Chickadees, Tufted 

 Tits, Downies and others. It is generally distributed all over 

 the state, but appears scarce during nesting time (which begins 

 in the latter part of March in the southern and the middle of 

 April in the northern portion) on account of retiring habits in 

 sharp contrast to its conspicuousness at the time of mating. 



728. SiTTA CANADENSIS Linn. Red-breasted Nuthatch. 



Sitta varia. Red-bellied or Canada Nuthatch. 



Geog. Dist. — North America at large, breeding in the higher 

 AUeghanies, the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and 

 from New England, New York, Pennsylvania, northern Indiana, 

 northern Illinois, central Iowa, northward to Prince Edward 

 Island, Keewatin and the Yukon district. In winter south to 

 the Gulf states. New Mexico and Arizona, probably northern 

 Mexico. 



In Missouri an irregularly common transient visitant, especially 

 irregular in fall when it has been recorded at St. Louis all the way 

 from September 4 to January 15. More regular in spring, 

 when it is more or less common from April 25 to May 15 (1904). 

 Some may spend the whole winter in the pine region oftheOzarks, 

 but at St. Louis the species has never been seen between January 

 15 and April 15, nor is there any other record from the state at 

 hand. 



Since the above was written Mr. E. Seymour Woodruff 

 found the species March 11, 14, 24, 30, 1907, in the pine region of 

 Shannon Co., Mo., and occasionally up to April 27, when the last 

 was seen, except one each day. May 1, 9 and 12. Here may also 

 be added another unusually late record May 21, 1907, at St. 

 Louis, but the extraordinary cold spring shifted all dates out 

 of recognition. 



*729. Sitta pusilla Lath. Brown-headed Nuthatch. 



Geog. Dist. — Pine region of southern United States from Mary- 

 land to eastern Texas. Casually northward to St. Louis, Ohio, 

 Michigan, New York and the Bahamas. 



