O. SITTA. 357 



Sexes alike in plumage. 



Hah. " South Atlantic and Gulf States." {B, Br., ^j- R'uhjway.) 



a, h. Ad. sk. Nortli America. Major-Gen. Hardwicke [P.]. 



17. Sitta azurea. 



Sitta azurea, Less. Traite d'Orn. p. 316 (1831) ; Gray, Haml-l. B. i. 



p. 182, no. 2.500 (1869). 

 Dendrophila fiavipes, Swains. An. in Mena(/. pt. iii. p. 323 (1836) ; 



Swai/ts. Chiss. li. p. 318 ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 148, pi. 45 ; Reichenh. 



Handb., Scans, p. 164, pi. 514. figs. 3569, 3570 ; Bernstein, J. f. O. 



1861, p. 122. 

 Dendropliila gymnophrys, Kuhl, MSS. ; Reichenb. Handb., Scans. 



p. 154. 

 Deudropbila gj-mnopsis, Schley. MSS. 



Adult male. Entire crown, hind neck, and sides of head and neck, 

 edge of ■wing, under wing-coverts, abdomen, flanks, and thighs deep 

 black, sometimes with a bluish purple tinge ; mantle and back rich 

 cyaneous Avith a slight shade of purple ; upper and iinder tail- 

 coverts whitish blue ; most of the upper wing-coverts entirely deep 

 black ; quills deep black, with broad marginal and submarginal 

 edgings to the outer webs of a pale blue colour ; the greater coverts 

 with large central patches of the same colour ; tail-feathers black, 

 with large subterminal patches of light blue, except the central pair, 

 which are only tipped with black, the rest light blue ; quills below with 

 a white patch near the edge of the wing ; chin, fore neck, and breast 

 light cream-colour, the line of separation between this colour and 

 the black of the abdomen strongly marked. Total length 5 inches, 

 culmen 0*65, wing 3"1, tail 1*6, tarsus 0-65. 



Females and immature birds show a more or less brown tinge to 

 the black parts of the crown and the sides of the head ; abdomen 

 dull blackish ; under tail-coverts with irregular edgings and tips of 

 cream-colour. 



Nab. Java and Timor. 



18. Sitta formosa. 



Sitta formosa, Bli/th, J. A. S. B. xii. p. 938 (1843) ; id. Cat. B. 3Ius. 



As. Soc. p. 189; Jerdon, B. Ind. i. p. 387 ; Sclat. Ibis, 1865, p. 308 ; 



Jerdon, Ibis, 1872, p. 21. 

 Callisitta formosa, Sundev. Av. Meth. Tent. p. 47 (1872) ; Reichenh. 



Handb., Scans, p. 154 (no fig.). 



Adult male. General colour above black, splendidly variegated 

 with different shades of blue ; streaked with cobalt-blue on the head 

 and with azure blue on the back, and with whitish mixed with 

 lavender on the sides of the neck ; lesser wing-covert«, scapulars, 

 lower back, and upper tail-coverts greenish blue ; rest of wing- 



