SITTA, Lipa 
Measurements. Total length about 140 mm.; wing 74to79 mm.; 
tail about 42 mm.; tarsus about 18 mm.; culmen about 15 mm. 
Distribution. The whole of the North-West Himalayas from 
the Baluchistan boundaries where well forested, Afghanistan, 
N. Kashmir to the hills next the plains as far us the pines 
‘continue and as far east as Garhwal. 
Nidification. This Nuthatch breeds freely throughout its range. 
Rattray took many nests in the Murree Hills in June, and says 
that a favourite site is high up in a tall fir-tree that has been 
struck by hghtning and cracked down the centre, a convenient 
place in this crack being selected for the nest. They lay from 
four to eight egys, which are just like those of the various forms 
of Chestnut-bellied Nuthatches and measure on an average for 
50 eges about 18°2 x 13°77 mm. The nest is difficult to find, 
both from its position and the cautious habits of the birds. 
Habits. This is a bird of high elevations, being found princi- 
pally between 7,000 and 12,000 feet and, according to Rattray and 
others, seldom below 8,000 feet. Its range, however, seems to 
be decided by the forest growth and it will not frequently be 
found outside the regions of firs, pines and other coniferous 
trees. Stoliczka says that it feeds principally on the seeds of 
Pinus girardiana and that its voice is a loud, uniform, melan- 
choly call, uttered while it is busily engaged in securing a pine- 
seed in the bark of a large tree. Whitehead likens its call to the 
French word “ pain,” and he and Davidson both say that the 
monotonous, wailing cry is to be heard in the forests all day 
long. 
(118) Sitta formosa. 
Tue Beavutirut NurHatcu. 
Sitta formosa Blyth, J. A-S. B., xii, p. 938 (1843) (Darjiling); 
Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 3806. 
Vernacular names. Dao-mojo-gadeba (Cachari); Tishe Kuyt 
gumbo (Lepcha). 
Description. Upper plumage black, streaked with pale blue on 
the upper back and the sides of the neck and with brilliant 
cobalt-blue elsewhere; sides of the head and chin fulvous white, 
the feathers round the eye and over the ear-coverts blackish at 
their bases; lesser wing-coverts, primary-coverts, primaries and 
secondaries bright blue; edges of the median and greater coverts 
and of the inner secondaries white; remainder of wing blue; 
scapulars, lover back and rump verdigris-blue; central tail- 
feathers blue with black bases and black next the shafts; the next 
two pairs black edged with blue; the others black with pro- 
gressively larger white tips, blue-edged on the exterior margins ; 
lower plumage dull chestnut. 
K2 
