376 



U. S. p. E. E. EXP. AND SUEVEYS — ZOOLOaY — GENERAL EEPORT. 



List of specimens. 



SITTA CANADENSIS, Linn. 



Red-bellied Nuthatch. 



Sitla canadensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 177.— Nuttall, Man. I, 1832, 583.— Aim. Orn. Biog. 11, 1834, 24 : V, 



474 ; pi. 108.— Ib. Birds Amer. IV, 179 ; pi. 248.— Bon. Consp. 1850, 227. 

 Sitttt varia, Wils. Am. Orn. J, 1808, 40 ; pi. ii. 

 Silta sluUa, Vif.ill. Nouv. Dict.(.>) 



Sp. Cii. — Above ashy blue. Top of bead black ; a white line above and a black one through the eye. Chin white ; rest of 

 under parts brownish rusty. Length about 4i inches ; wing, Sj. 



Hah. — North America to the Rocky mountains. Probably also to the Pacific. 



Fourth quill longest ; third a little shorter, hut longer than fifth ; second intermediate 

 hetween sixth and seventh. Ahove ashy blue. Top of head from hill to occiput deep black ; 

 sides of head and chin white, with a narrow black band from the bill through the eye ; under 

 parts generally yellowish rusty, deepest towards the tail. Under wing coverts tinged with 

 black. Wing feathers brown, edged with the color of the back, and without white or black 

 marking. Tail feathers narrowly tipped with bluish ; central one like the black ; rest of 

 feathers black ; the first and second with a subterminal, the third with a terminal bar of white. 



The female has the black of the head tinged with dark ash ; the under surfaces lighter, more 

 of a muddy white. 



I am unable to detect any difference between eastern and western specimens. One of the latter 

 (6839) has the bill much stouter than any others I have seen from either side of tlie continent, 

 being quite as broad at tlio base as in a mucli larger S. carolinensis from Pennsylvania. 



The rusty belly and white streak over the eye, with the black one through it, will readily 

 distinguish this from any other North American species. 



