ZOOLOGY. 193 



SiUa varia, WILS. Am. Orn. I, 1808, 40 ; pi. ii. 

 Sitta stuUa, VIEILL. Nouv. Diet. (?) 



SP. CH. Above ashy blue. Top of head black ; a white line above and a black one through the eye. Chin white ; rest 

 of under parts brownish rusty. Lower mandible pale brown color, its tip black ; upper mandible black. Feet and legs 

 dusky greenish yellow. Length about 4. 80 inches ; extent, 8. 25 to 9. 50 ; wing, 2. 60. 

 Hob. North America to the Rocky mountains. Probably also to the Pacific. 



The Canada nuthatch is common in the Territory, preferring the oaks and other deciduous 

 trees, and never frequenting the interior of the dense forests. I observed this and the next 

 species at 49, east of the Cascade mountains, as late as October 15. C. 



A nuthatch, apparently of this species, I found rather abundant west of the Cascade 

 mountains, in Washington Territory, but not quite so abundant as the other species. Habits 

 similiar to those of S. canadensis in the eastern States. S. 



SITTA ACULEATA, C a s s i n . 



Slender-bill Nuthatch. 



Sitta aculeata, CASSIN, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phila. VIII, Oct. 1856, 254. BAIRD, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 375. 



SP. CH. Above ashy blue. Top of head and neck black. Under parts and sides of head to a short distance above the eye 

 white. Under tail coverts and tibial feathers brown ; concealed primaries white. Precisely similar to S- carolinensis, but the 

 bill slenderer and more attenuated. 



Length, 5. 75 to 6 inches ; extent, 9. 80 to 10. 50 ; wing, about 3|. 



Hah. Pacific coast, and east towards the Rocky mountains 



The slender-billed nuthatch is common in similiar places with the preceding, and has the 

 same habits. C. 



This bird is quite abundant at Puget Sound. It prefers searching for insects on deciduous 

 trees rather than on the conifera. S. 



SITTA PYGMAEA, Vigors. 



California Nuthatch. 



Sitta pygmaea, VIGORS, Zool. Beechey s Voyage, 1839, 25 ; pi. iv. AUDUBON, Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 68 ; pi. 415. IB. 

 Syn. 1839, 168. IB. Birds Amer. IV, 1842, 184; pi. 250. NEWBERRY, Zool. Cal. Or. Route ; P. R. 

 R. Rep. VI, iv, 1857, 79. BAIRD, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 378. 



SP. Cn. Above ashy blue ; head and upper part of neck greenish ashy brown, its lower border passing a little below the 

 eye, where it is darker ; nape with an obscure whitish spot. Chin and throat whitish ; rest of the lower parts brownish whits ; 

 the sides and behind like the back, but paler. Middle tail feather like the back ; its basal half with a long white spot ; its 

 outer web edged with black at the base. Length about 4 inches ; wing, 2. 40. 



Hah. Pacific coast and towards Rocky mountains. 



I met with the California nuthatch only in the open pine forests at Fort Colville, near the 

 49th degree, associated in small flocks, on the 20th October, when there were heavy frosts at 

 night. They were actively hunting among the high branches, making a chirping noise like 

 young chickens, and following each other from tree to tree. In habits they much resemble the 

 Pants minimus. 



This bird, like many other California species, probably migrates only along the east side of 

 the mountains, shunning the damp spruce forests near the coast. C. 



25 Q 



