118 XOUTII AMERICAN IJIRDS. 



• 



year, in the vicinity of Carson City, among the pii. ? on the Siemi Nevada 

 Mountains. He noted its great similarity in manners to the raroliurnsis ; at 

 the same time the well-marked ditt'erence in the notes did not escape his 

 attention. These notes are nuich weaker, and are uttered in a finer tone, and 

 some of them are said to be entirely dilferent. 



Sitta canadensis, Linn. 



BED-BELLIEO NTTTHATCH. 



Hiffx cn)iadaijfis, LiNN. Syst. Nat. I, UtUI, 177. — Ari>. Orn. Ring. II, 1834, pi. cviii. — 

 In. Rirds Am. IV, pi. ccxlviii. — Rehh. Ilaiidl). Abli. II, lsr)3, ir)2, tah. dxiii, figs. 

 ;i:»(n, 3:»G2. — Haiku, liiids N. Am. 1858, :37t) ; IJovi.w, 87. — Sclatku, Catal. 

 18t>l, 15, no. J»l. — Cooi'KU, Oni. t'al. 1, 1870, 54. Hittu vuria, WiLs. Am. Urn. I, 

 1SU8, 40, pi. ii. 



pp. CnAH. Abovo asliy-l)liu\ Top of head Mack ; a white line above and a black one 

 through the eye. Chin white ; rest ol" under parts brownisii-rusty. Length about 4.r>0 

 inches : wing. 2.(»(). Female with the black of head mixed with ashy ; beneath paler, 

 more of a muddy-white. 



Hab. Whole United States and British Provinces. North to Lake Winnipeg. 



Habits. The common Hed-bellied Nuthatch, though nowhere a very 

 abundant species, is found throughout tlie whole of North America, from 

 Florida to high northern regions, ami from ocean to ocean. The Smithsonian 

 Institution possesses specimens from Georgia, Selkirk Settlement, California, 

 and Washington Territurv. Mr. Gambel iound them (piite common in the 

 motmtains in the interior of California, in October, roving in company with 

 busy flocks of the Parm montamia. 



Dr. Cooper Tuet with them abundantly in Washington Territory, where 

 they preferred the oaks and other deciduous trees, and never fre([uented the 

 interior of tlie dense forest. He observed this bird and the Slender-billed 

 Xutliiitch, along the 40th parallel, east of the Cascade ^loimtains, as late as 

 the middle of October. Dr. Suckley also met both birds west of the same 

 mountains. 



Tliis Xuthatch was observed by Mr. Kidgway among the aspen groves bor- 

 dering the streams that flow from the East Humboldt Mountains. In that 

 locality it was c<immon through the month of September, though not abun- 

 dant. It was again seen in June among the pine-woods of the Wahsatch 

 Mountains, but it was not common. 



While a few of these birds are resident of the Xorthern States, they are, 

 to a considerable extent, of migratory habits. Wilson observed them leaving 

 in large numl)ers for the Southern States in Octol)er, and returning again in 

 April. On the 'iOth of May, 18(17, the writer ob.served a vSmall flock in 

 Eastern ^lassachusetts, evidently just arrived from the South. They were 

 apparently fatigued and hungry, and ])aid no attention to the near presence 



