48 



SITTA EUROP.EA. THE EUROPEAN NUTHATCH. 



Sitta europsea. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. 177- 



Sitta europsea. Lath. Ind. Orn. IL 261. 



European Nuthatch. Mont. Orn. Diet. 



Sittelle Torchepot. Sitta europeea. Temm. Man. d'Orn. I. 407. 



Sitta europsea. Nuthatcli. Jen. Brit. Vert. An. 154. 



Nuthatch. Sitta europsea. Selb. Illustr. I. 385. 



Upper parts hluish-grey ; throat and cheeks white ; loral space 

 and a hand behind the eye hlacli ; loiver parts light reddish-yellow, 

 sides hroionish-red. 



Male. — This beautiful and lively little bird, which occurs 

 in various parts of England, remaining all the year, is one of 

 the largest species of the genus. Its general appearance may 

 be learned from the generic character, which applies to it in 

 every respect ; the body being short and rather full, the neck 

 very short, the head rather large ; the bill longish, moderately 

 stout, straight, tapering, and towards the end four-sided ; the 

 tarsi very short, the hind toe very long, with eight scutella, 

 the second with eight, the third with twelve, the fourth, which 

 is considerably longer than the second, with ten ; the claws 

 long, much arched, that of the hind toe very large and curved 

 in a semicircle. 



