SITTID^ SITTA CANADENSIS, SITTA PYGM^A. 25 



SITTA CANADENSIS, Linn. 



Red-bellied Nuthatch. 



Sitta canadensis, LiXN., Svst. Nat. i, 1766, 177.— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 441.— Lath., 

 Iiul. Orn. i, 1790, •26-2.— Bp., Syn. 1828, 96 ; List,"l838, 10; Consp. i. IS.'SO, 227.— 

 NUTT., Mau. i, 18:>2, 583.— Aud., Orn. Biog. ii, 1834, 24, pi. 105; Svn. 1839, 167: 

 B. Am. iv. 179, pi. 248.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 376; Rev. 1864, 86.-Coues & 

 Pkent., Smiths. Kcp. 1861, 411.— Hayd., Rep. 1862, 164.— Coop. & Suck., N. 

 H. Wash. Ter. 1860, 193.— Coop., Am. Nat. iii, 1869, 74 ; B. Cal. i, 1870, 54.— 

 CouES, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 79.— Scl., Cat. 1861, 15 ; Ibis, Apr. 18G5.— Putn., 

 Pr. Ess. lust, i, 1856, 214.— Verk., ibid, iii, 1862, 150.— Allen, ibid, iv, 1864, 69.— 

 McIlwr., ibid. V, 1866, 88.— Coues, ibid, v, 1868, 279.— Tiuppe, ibid, vi, 1871, 

 117.— Lawk., Aud. Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 283.— Turnb., B. E. Pa. 1869, 21.— 

 Stev., U. S. Geol. SurV. Ter. 1870, 464.— Coues, Key, 1872, 83, fig. 27.— Snow, 

 B. Kaus. 1873, 6. 



Sitta varia, Wils;., Am. Orn. i, 1808, 40, pi. 2, f. 4. 



"Sitta stulta, Vieill." (Bp.) 



Hab. — North America at large, in wooded regions, but rather northerly (to 66° or 

 further). South, however, to the Mexican border. 



Not obtained by Captain Raynolds' Expeditiou. 



Lieutenant Warren's Ex2}edition.—o2SO, Cedar Island, Missouri River ; 8889-90, Black 

 Hills. 



Later Exi)editions.— 60690-2, 60972-3, Fort Bridger, Green River, &c. 



As Dr. Hayden remarks, this species is quite rare in the Northwest, 

 the nature of the surface heiug for the uiost part unsuited to its wauts. 

 It is coufiued to the wooded streams aud the mouutaius about the vari 

 ous headwaters of the Missouri. lu the Eastern United States, the 

 bird is not plentiful south of the Middle States, aud is apparently 

 wanting in the Southern States, its place being supplied by the pecu- 

 liar 8. 2)usiUa, along with S. carolineiisis. About Washington, D. C, it 

 was occasionally observed by Dr. Prentiss and myself, but only from 

 October to May. It is resident in New England, breeding abundantly 

 in the northern portions, Audubon gives an interesting note of its 

 nidification : "I found it building its nest," he says, "near Eastport, 

 in Maine, on the 19th of May, before the Bluebird had made its ap- 

 pearance there, and while much ice stiil remained on the northern 

 exposures. The nest is dug in a low dead stump, seldom more than four 

 feet from the ground, both the jnale and the female working by turns 

 until they have got to the depth of about fourteen inches. The eggs, 

 four in number, are small aud of a white color, tinged with a deep blush 

 and si)rinkled with reddish dots. They raise, I believe, only one brood 

 in the season." The eggs are only distinguishable from those of S. caro- 

 linemis by their smaller size, averaging about 0.00 by 0.48 ; the differ- 

 ence is, however, quite a[)preciable on comparison. The amount of 

 speckling is undetermined, but the surface is generally pretty evenly 

 covered. They are from tour to six in number. 



SITTA PYGM^EA, Vig. 

 Pygmy Nuthatch. 



Sitta pygmwa, Vig., Zool. Beechev's Voy. 1839, 29, pi. 4.— Aud., Orn. Biog. v, 1839, 63, 

 pi. 415.— Aud., Syn. 1839, 168.— Aud., B. Am. iv, 1842, 184, pi. 2.50.— Newij., P. 

 R. R. Rep. vi, 18.57, 79.— Bd., B. N. A. 18.58, 378.— Scl., P. Z. S. 1859, 303 

 (Xalapa).— Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. 18(i0, 193.— Bd. Rev. 1864, 

 88. — Scl., Ibis, 1865.— Coues, Pr. I'hiia. Acad. 1866, 78.— Coop., Am. Nat. iii, 

 1869, 74 (Montana). — SuMicn., Mem. liost. Soc. 1, 1869, 544 (Vera Cruz). — Coop., 

 B. Cal. i, 1870, 55.— Aike.n, Pr. Bost. Soc. 1872, 195.— Coues, Key, 1872, 83, tig. 27. 



Sitta pmilla var. pygmwa, Allen, Bull. JI. C. Z. 1872, 174 (mountains of Colorado, up 

 to 8,000 feet). 



jETai.— Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. North to 49^. South to Xalapa. 



