134 DESCRIPTION OP SITTA CAROLINENSIS ACULEATA 



bilJecl Nuthatch 



Sit Ja carolinensis aculeata 



Sitta carol ineiisls, pt., of some authors. Towns. Journ. Phila. Acad. viii. 1839, 155. Woodh. 



Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 66.Newb. PRRR. vi. 1857, 79. (l)Scl. PZS. 1856, 293 ; 1858, 300: 1859, 



363,373 (all Mexican quotations). (?) Sumich. Mem. Boat. Soc. i. 1869, 544 (Vera Cruz). 

 Sitta aculeata, Cass. Pr. Phila. Acad. viii. 1856, 254 (California). Scl PZS. 1857, 126. Bd. 



BNA. 1858, 375 ; ed. of 1860, 375, pi. 33, f. 3. Kenn. PRRR. x. 1859, Whipple's Route, 



26, pi. 33, f. 3.Heerm. PRRR. x. 1859, Williamson's Route, 56. Xant. Pr. Phila. 



Acad. 1859, 191. C. ffS. NHWT. 1860, 193. Bd. RAB. 1864, m.Feilner, Smiths. Rep. 



for 1864, 1865, 425,Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 78. Brown, Ibis, 2d ser. iv. 1868, 421 



(Vancouver). Coop. Am. Nat. iii. 1869, 74. Coop. B. Cal. i. 1870, 54, figa.Aiken, Pr. 



Bost. Soc. xv. 1872, 195. Merr. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr, for 1872, 1873, 672, 713. 



Coop. Am. Nat. viii. 1874, 17. 

 Sitta carolinensis var. aculeata, Coues, Key, 1872, 83. A lien, Bull. MCZ. iii. 1872, 174. 



Ridg. Bull. Essex Inst. v. 1873, 180. Allen, Pr. Bost. Soc. 1874, 59. Yarr. & Henah, 



Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, S.Hensk. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, 40, 73, 100. Coues, BNW. 



1874, 24, 230. B. B. tf R. NAB. i. 1874, 117, fig. pi. 8, with jig. Z.Hensk. Ann. List. B. 



Ariz. 1875, 155. Hensh. Zool. Expl. W. 100 Merid. 1876, 173. 



HAB. Wooded regions of the Middle and Western Provinces of the United 

 States, and portions of Mexico. 



CH. SP. $ ? Cceruleo-plumbea, infra alba, crisso rufo-notaio, 

 alis nigricantibus, cceruleo-plumbeo Umbatis, rectricibus mediis 

 dorso concoloribus, ccuteris nigris, albo-notatis ; rostro tenuissimo ; 

 $ pileo, nuchd et cervice atris, ? pileo nigricante aut dorso concolore. 



$ , adult : Upper parts, central tail-feathers and much edging of the 

 wings clear ashy-blue, the whole crown, nape and back of the neck glossy 

 black. Under parts, including sides of the neck and head to above the eyes, 

 dull white, more or less marked on the flanks and crissum with rusty-brown. 

 Wings and their coverts blackish, much edged as already said, and with an 

 oblique bar of white on the outer webs of the primaries towards their ends ; 

 concealed bases of primaries white ; under wing-coverts mostly blackish; 

 no bold bluish and black variegation of the innermost secondaries. Tail, 

 excepting the two middle feathers, black ; each feather marked with white 

 in increasing amount, the outer web of "the lateral feather being mostly 

 white. Bill blackish-plumbeous, pale at the base below, extremely slender. 

 Feet dark brown. Iris brown. Length, 5^-6 inches ; extent, 10^-U ; wing, 

 3^ ; tail, If ; bill about f of an inch long, but only about f of an inch deep 

 at the base. 



9 : Similar to the ; but the black of. the head imperfect, mixed or over- 

 laid with the color of the back, or altogether restricted to the nape. 



This form, extremely similar to the eastern S. carolinensis, differs in the 

 slenderer bill, which is only 4-i deep at the base, instead of y~g, and in the 

 indistinctness of the markings of the inner secondaries, which, in S. caroli- 

 nensis, are boldly variegated with blackish and ashy-blue. 



I HAVE never observed the slightest difference in habits 

 between this species and'its familiar eastern representative ; 

 other authors also agree that one is the counterpart of the 



