NEVADA NUTHATCH 55 



Riverside and San Diego, in California. A. J. van Rossem (1929) 

 remarks : '"''Leuconucha in typical form occurs only south of the Lower 

 California boundary. Birds from north of that point are somewhat 

 intermediate toward melanotis^ but a good series from the San Jacinto 

 Mountains demonstrates clearly that leucormcha extends to that 

 range." 



A. W. Anthony (1889), in naming it, says that it "differs from S. 

 pygmaea in larger bill, grayer head, more conspicuous nuchal patch 

 and whiter underparts. Compared with the other races, leucormcha 

 is characterized by largest size, particularly of bill ; paler, more ashy 

 coloration of the upper parts, and least buffy underparts. I can not 

 agree that the amount of white on the nape is of diagnostic value." 



Mr. Anthony (1893) called the white-naped nuthatch "the most 

 abundant species on the San Pedro Martir mountain; found every- 

 where in the pines. Upon our arrival May 5 this species was mating ; 

 noisy little companies of five or six to a dozen were seen chasing one 

 another through the pines, chattering and calling from daylight till 

 dark; although dozens of nests were discovered all were practically 

 inaccessible. A favorite location for the burrow was on the under 

 side of a dead branch, well away from the trunk of a large pine, and 

 from twenty-five to a hundred feet from the ground." 



The eggs of the white-naped nuthatch are apparently indistinguish- 

 able from those of the other races of the species. The measurements 

 of 23 eggs average 15.7 by 12.0 millimeters; the eggs showing the four 

 extremes measure 16.3 by 12.3, 16.0 by 12.4, 15.0 by 11.7, and 15.4 by 

 11.6 millimeters. 



SITTA PYGMAEA CANESCENS van Rossem 

 NEVADA NUTHATCH 



Mr. van Rossem (1931) described this local race of the pygmy nut- 

 hatch as "exactly resembling Sifta pygmaea leuconucha Anthony of 

 northern Lower California in pale, ashy gray coloration, but size, par- 

 ticularly of bill, decidedly smaller. Similar in size to Sitta pygmaea 

 melanotis van Rossem of the Rocky Mountains, but coloration paler 

 and more ashy throughout, particularly on the head. Measurements 

 of the type, which was selected as showing the racial average in size 

 and color, are : wing, 64.0 mm. ; tail, 34.0; culmen from base, 15.0." 



He gives the range as "Charleston and Sheep Mountains, extreme 

 southern Nevada, where resident in the yellow pine association from 

 7,000 to 8,500 feet," and says : "The series of 11 canescens are all in rela- 

 tively fresh fall plumage, indeed seven of them had only just com- 

 pleted the annual moult at the time of collection. The color char- 

 acters are, therefore, true ones and not the result of wear or fade. 

 * * * -pj^g Lower California race, leuconucha^ the only one re- 

 sembling canescens closely in color, measures on the basis of 10 adult 

 males from the San Pedro Martir Mountains : wing, 68.0 mm. ; tail, 

 36.0 ; culmen from base, 18.2." 



