360 CKRTHnn^. 



6. SITTELLA. ^yp,. 



Sittella, Swains. Class. B. ii. p. 317 (1837) S. chrysoptera. 



Neops, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xxxi. p. 337 S. chrysoptera. 



Bill broad at base, laterally compressed in front of tbe nostrils ; 

 maxilla and mandibula curved iipwards, the former with a distinct 

 notch near the tip. Nostrils oval, operculated, exposed; hardly any 

 bristles at all. Wings very long and pointed, covering the whole 

 tail ; first primary very short ; tip of wing formed by 2nd, 3rd, and 

 4th primaries ; secondaries comparatively very short. Tail slightly 

 rounded, only half the length of wing. Tarsus with transverse 

 scales ; claw of hallux much longer than that of the other toes. 

 Principal colour brown ; basal half of most of the remiges generally 

 rusty red. 



Ranc/e. Australia and New Guinea. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Middle third of quills forming a large patch of 



rusty red. 

 a'. Breast and abdomen streaked with brown. 



a". Crown of head dark brown chrysoptera, p. 360. 



h". Head and neck all roimd white leucocephala, p. 361. 



b'. Breast and abdomen without any streaks. 



c". Crown of head black pileata, p. 362. 



d". Crown of head blackish brown ; middle third 



of quills half white and half rusty tenuirostris, p. 363. 



b. ISliddle third of quills pm-e white. 

 c'. Head above black. 



e". Breast and abdomen much streaked striata, p. 364. 



/". Breast and abdomen without any streaks. . leticoptera, p. 363. 

 d'. Head white all round ." albata, p. 362. 



c. Quills perfectly imiform papuensis, p. 365. 



1. Sittella chrysoptera. 



Oranse-winged Nuthatch, Lath. Gen. Syn. Stippl. ii. p. 146, pi. 127 

 (1801). 



Sitta chrysoptera, Lath. Lnd. Orn. Suppl. p. xxxii (1801) ; Vig. 8f 

 Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 296. 



Sitta ? chrysoptera, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiv. p. 189. 



Neops chrysoptera, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xxxi. p. 337 (1819). 



Sittella chrysoptera, Sioains. Class. B. ii. p. 317 (1837) ; Goxdd, B. 

 Amtr. iv. pi. 101 ; id. Syn. B. Austr. pt. iv. ; id. Lntrod. B. Austr. 

 p. 128 ; id. Handb. B. Austr. i. p. 609 ; Bp. C. A. i. p. 226 ; Ziwhold, 

 J. f. O. 1858, p. 29; Miiller, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 279; v. Pelzeln, 

 llns, 1873, p. 110 ; Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. ii. p. 191. 



Adult male. Crown of head, nape, and wing-coverts dark brown ; 

 mantle, back, and scapulars pale brownish grey, each feather with 

 a broad central streak of dark brown colour ; rump and upper tail- 

 coverts white, the latter with small subterminal brown cross bars ; 



