PASSERES — CERTHID.E — SITTA. 49 



black, bordered behind with white. Outer tail-feathers black, tipped and barred with white. 

 Sides of the head and beneath pure white. Female : Crown dark leaden ; neck glossy black. 

 Young, without black on the head. Length, 5"0-5 - 5. 



This industrious little bird derives its popular name from the hatches or hammerings which 

 he makes on hard nuts, in search of larvae within. It is a resident in this State, as I have 

 seen it during the whole winter. It lays from four to six whitish eggs, spotted with brown 

 at the larger end. Its food consists mainly of spiders, ants, etc. Its geographical range is 

 from Mexico to Maine. 



THE RED-BELLIED NUTHATCH. 



SlTTA CANADENSIS. 



PLATE XL. FIG. 88. 



(STATE COLLECTION. Male and female.) 



Sitta canadensis. LiNN-sus, Syst. Nat. 12 ed. p. 177 (young). • j 



Sitta varia. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 43, pi. 2, fig. 4. 

 S. canadensis. Bonaparte, Obs. No. 60, and App. ; Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 96. Aoddbon, fol.pl. 105; 



Orn. Biog. Vol. 2, p. 24, and Vol. 5, p. 474. 

 Red-bellied Nuthatch. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 583. Audubon, Birds of Am. Vol. 4, p. 179, pi. 248. 

 Sitta canadensis. Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 168. 



Characteristics. Smaller than the preceding, lead-colored. Head, neck and eye-stripe 

 black ; rust-colored beneath. Bill short. Length, four inches. 



Description. Bill straight, short, entire. The first quill shorter than the fifth. Wings 

 reaching nearly to the tip of the tail, which is slightly rounded. 



Color. Frontlet, cheeks, shoulder and line over the eye white : a line of black passes 

 through the eye to the shoulder. Legs, feet and claws dull greenish yellow. Chin white. 

 Beneath light rust-color or reddish. Lateral tail-feathers barred with white near the end, and 

 tipped with pale brown. Female : Crown brownish black ; beneath light reddish. 



Length, 4-0 -4-5. 



This hardy little northern bird appears in this State in the autumn and spring, as it passes 

 to and fro on its migrations. It feeds on insects and the oily seeds of the evergreens, and 

 ranges from 38° to 52° north. Its history is as yet very imperfect, but from its resemblance 

 in appearance and general habits to the preceding, it may be presumed to be similar to that 

 species. 



[Fauna — Part 2.] 7 



