478 SITTIIXE. 



be the bird lately described by Mr. Brooks as S. cashmirensis, 

 though that seems to differ little from S. ctesia, and chiefly in 

 wanting any white on the lower tail-coverts. Canon Tris- 

 tram obtained an example of the latter in Palestine, and 

 Strickland did the like at Smyrna. It inhabits the mainland 

 of Turkey and Greece, and thence westward throughout the 

 remaining countries of continental Europe, occurring also in 

 Sicily but not in Sardinia. It is also found in Algeria, 

 where it is said to breed, and it has been included among 

 the birds of the Canaries, but, as Dr. Bolle thinks, erro- 

 neously. 



The bill is bluish-black, except the base of the lower man- 

 dible, which is whitish-brown : irides hazel : a black streak 

 runs from the base of the bill to each eye, and thence back- 

 ward along the side of the neck ; top of the head, neck, back, 

 lesser wing-coverts, rump and the two middle tail-feathers, 

 uniform bluish slate-colour ; the greater wing-coverts and 

 wing-quills dark slaty-brown, the outer webs tinged with 

 blue ; the remaining tail-feathers black for about three-fourths 

 of their length, grey at the tip, with a white patch between 

 these two colours on the three outer feathers of each side ; 

 the chin and sides of the head white, passing into buff on 

 the throat, the colour becoming deeper on the breast and 

 belly ; flanks and lower tail-coverts light chestnut, the latter 

 broadly tipped with white : legs, toes and claws, light brown. 



The whole length of the male described rather less than 

 six inches ; from the carpal joint to the tip of the wing, 

 three inches and one-quarter ; the second primary rather 

 longer than the seventh, but shorter than the sixth ; the 

 third, fourth and fifth nearly equal in length, but the fifth 

 rather the longest. 



In the true Sitta europcea the upper parts are brighter, the 

 throat, breast and belly are pure white, and the legs, toes 

 and claws lead-colour. 



