386 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



central tail-feathers blue-grey ; lateral feathers black, tipped with 

 blue-grey ; the two outer ones, on each side, with a small spot of 

 white on the inner web near the tip ; face, chin, throat, breast, 

 and centre of the abdomen, white, the latter slightly washed with 

 buff; flanks and under tail-coverts bright chesnut ; bill black, 

 with a blue-grey base ; legs grey. 



Length 5 inches ; wing 3^ ; tail 2 ; bill | ; tarsus |. 



This Nuthatch is from the North-western Himalayas, but ap- 

 pears very rare. It is, not improbably, the supposed White-headed 

 Woodpecker noticed in p. 275. 



250. Sitta castaneoventriS; Franklin. 



P. Z. S. 1831— Jakd. and Selby,I11. Orn., 3, pi. 145— Gould, 

 Birds of Asia, 1, pi. 9— Blyth, Cat. 1142— Horsf., Cat. 157 — 

 Jerdon, Cat. 219. 



The Chesnut-bellied Nuthatch. 



Descr. — Above, greyish-plumbeous, lightest on the head and 

 nape ; stripe from the gape, through the eyes, to the nape, black ; 

 quills, with the inner webs of the feathers, black ; throat, face, and 

 spot on the lateral tail-feathers, white ; breast, and under tail- 

 coverts, with the abdomen, deep chesnut-bay in the male, dark 

 cinnamon-colour in the female. 



Bill horny-black ; legs plumbeous ; irides brown. 



Length 5^ inches ; wing 3y^ ; tail 1^-q ; bill at front nearly j^^y ; 

 foot 1 ^ ; weight ^ oz. 



This Nuthatch is found in most of the jungles of Southern and 

 Central India, from the extreme South to Rajraahal and Mirzapore. 

 It is rare, however, in the damp Malabar forests. I have killed 

 it in the Wynaad, on the Neilgherry slopes, and in Mysore. It 

 is much more common in Central India, in the jungles near 

 Nagpore, in the Vindhian range of hills, and in Bundelkund, in 

 Goomsoor, and the Northern Circars. It frequents lofty trees, 

 and has the usual habits of the tribe. 



