210 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.86 



than in birds from the north, Tvhile in the breedmg season the back 

 is very slightly darker gray. Specimens from Florida are less defi- 

 nitely marked. In skins from West Virginia and Kentucky north- 

 ward the dorsal wash in fall is very slightly brighter brown, and the 

 gray of the back in summer barely perceptibly paler. The differences 

 appear to me too slight to be worth separation. 



Family SITTIDAE 



SITTA CAROLINENSIS CAROLINENSIS Latham: White-breasted Nuthatch 



■\\Tiile the white-breasted nuthatches that I have seen from eastern 

 Tennessee are not wholly typical of the northern bird, it appears to 

 me that they are decidedly nearer to the northern form than to the 

 southern one. The dorsal color is very sliglitly darker than in the 

 bird of the north but is distinctly paler than in atkinsi The size is 

 slightly intermediate, some having the somewhat larger dimensions of 

 carolinensis and some being a little smaller. Specimens allocated here 

 as carolinensis include the following: Eockwood, March 2, 13, 21, 30, 

 and 31, 1885 (taken by W. H. Fox) ; Shady Valley, June 4; and 3,800 

 feet elevation in the Holston Mountains above Shady Valley, June 

 9. Dr. Oberholser " has listed the Rockwood specimens as the south- 

 ern form, but with more material for comparison they seem to me 

 to fit better in the northern gi'oup. They are definitely paler than 

 atkinsi^ and the single female shows a wash of gray over part of the 

 black of the crown and nape. Measurements are as follows : Males 

 (4 specimens), wings 85.8, 89.1, 89.4, 92, tail 46.7, 47.2, 47.4, 48.7, cul- 

 men from base 16.9, 18.3, 18.5, 18.5, tarsus 17.8, 18.2, 18.5, 19.4; female 

 (1 specimen), wing 87.6, tail 46, culmen from base 17, tarsus 17 mm. 



SITTA CAROLINENSIS ATKINSI Scott: Florida Nuthatch 



Birds from the following localities are identified as this southern 

 race : Reelf oot Lake, April 27 ; 8 miles north of Indian Mound, Octo- 

 ber 28 ; near Waynesboro, May 15 and 17 ; 7 miles southwest of Cross- 

 ville, May 26. In color and in size these si^ecimens are similar to skins 

 from Florida and South Carolina. They are definitely darker gray 

 on the back than carolmensls and average small in size. Females 

 from Indian IMound and Crossville have the crown and hindneck black 

 without gray overwash. The size is definitely small as indicated by 

 the following: Males (5 specimens), wing 85.4, 87.3, 88, 88.3, 89.5, tail 

 45, 46.2, 47, 47.5, 47.5, cuhnen from base 17, 17.5, 17.6, 17.7, 18.3, tarsus 

 18, 18, 18.9, 18.9, 19; females (2 specimens), wing 85.6, 86.4, tail 45.7, 

 48.3, culmen from base 17, 17.5, tarsus 17.7, 18.5 mm. Crossville, 



•^ Auk, 1917, p. 185. 



