CHAP. XVIII.] 



BIRDS. 



265 



Europe to Abyssinia, Nepal, and North China ; Rhdbdornis (1 

 sp.), Philippine Islands ; Climacteris (8 sp.), Australia and New 

 Guinea. 



FAMILY 9. SITTID^E. (6 Genera, 31 Species.) 



The Sittidse, or Nuthatches, are another small family of tree- 

 creeping birds, whose distribution is very similar to that of the 

 Certhiidae, but with a more uniform range over the Oriental 

 region, and extending to New Zealand and Madagascar. The 

 genera are as follows : 



S-itta (17 sp.), Palsearctic and Nearctic regions to South India 

 and Mexico ; Dendrophila (2 sp.), Ceylon and India to Burmah 

 and Malaya ; Hypherpes (1 sp.), Madagascar ; Sittella (6 sp.), 

 Australia and New Guinea. Acanthisitta (1 sp.) and Xenicus 

 (4 sp.), New Zealand, are placed with some doubt in this family. 



FAMILY 10. PAKIDJE. (14 Genera, 92 Species.) 

 GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The Paridas, or Tits, are very abundant in the Nearctic and 

 Palsearctic regions ; many fine species are found in the Himalayas, 

 but they are sparingly scattered through the Ethiopian, Oriental, 

 and Australian regions. The genera usually admitted into this 

 family are the following, but the position of some of them, 

 especially of the Australian forms, is doubtful. 



(864 - 867 870) p arus ( g p ^ North America, from Mexico, 

 Palaearctic, and Oriental regions, Tropical and Fouth Africa; 



