270 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSEEES— OSCINES. 



17. SIT'TA. (Lat. sitta, Gr. o-tVra, name of a bird. Fig. 141.) Typical Nuthatches. 

 I'liarac.ters practically those given under head of the family. 



Analysis of Species and Varieties. 

 White below, the crissum washed with rusty-brown ; cap glossy black, without stripes. 



Bill stouter, 0.18-0.20 deep at base. Inner secondaries boldly variegated with black. Eastern 



caroiinensis 57 

 Bill slenderer, 0.12-0.16 deep at base. Inner secondaries scarcely variegated with blackish. "Western 



aculeata 58 



Rusty-brown below ; cap glossy black with white stripes, or color of the back canadensis 69 



Rusty-brown or brownish-white below ; cap brown, unlike back, without stripes. 



Crown clear hair-brown ; a white spot on nape ; middle tail-feathers plain. Southeastern, pusilla CO 

 Crown dull brownish, with darker border ; little or no white on nape ; middle tail-feathers with 

 black. Southwestern pygmaa 61 





Fig. 141. — European Nuthatch, Sitta ccesia (resembling S. pusilla), nearly nat. size. (From Brehm.) 



57. S. carolinen'sis. (Lat. of Caroli 



Fig. 142. —Carolina Nuthatch, nat. size. 

 (Ad nat. del. E. C.) 



Fig. 1^2.) Carolina Nuthatch. White-bellied 

 Nuthatch. <J, adult: Upper parts, central tail- 

 feathers, and much edging of the wings, clear ashy- 

 hliie ; whole crown, nape, and back of the neck, glossy 

 black. Under parts, including sides of neck and head 

 above eyes, dull white, more or less marked on the 

 flanks and crissum with rusty-brown. Wings and their 

 coverts blackish, much edged as already said, and with 

 an oblique bar of white on the outer webs of the pri- 

 maries towards their ends; concealed bases of primaries 

 white; under wing-coverts mostly blackish; bold bluish 

 and black variegation of the inner secondaries. Tail, 



