SITTA 191 



Sitta canadensis, which inhabits North America, differs but little 

 from the present bird, in having the under parts except the 

 chin rusty brown, and in having a black patch on the side of 

 the head, extending over the ear- coverts and part of the sides 

 of the neck. 



284. MONGOLIAN NUTHATCH. 

 SITTA PRJEVALSKII. 



Sitta prjewalskii, Berezovski and Bianchi, Ptitz. Gan-su. p. 119 (1891), 

 Pleske, Prjevalsky's Keisen, ii. p. 174, Taf. ix. fig. 4 ; Sitta ekhni t 

 Prjev. Tret. pyt. no. Centr. Asie. p. 368 (nomen nudum). 



< ad. Forehead, crown, and nape deep blue-black ; upper parts deep 

 slate-blue, the rump rather paler ; wings blackish, externally margined 

 with dark slate-blue ; central tail-feathers like the back, the rest black, 

 tipped with slate-blue, the outer ones with a subterminal white patch on 

 the inner web ; chin, sides of the head, and neck dull white tinged with rusty 

 rufous; rest of under parts ochreous ; the sides of the breast and flanks 

 rusty chestnut ; bill black ; the base of lower mandible paler ; legs 

 brownish ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'7, wing 2'9, tail 1'7 tarsus ! 71 inch. 

 Sexes alike. 



Hob. The Chuanche river district, Mongolia. 



I find nothing on record respecting the habits of this species 

 except that it frequents the conifer woods, and that its call-note 

 somewhat resembles that of the Wryneck. It is closely allied 

 to Sitta leucopsis, Gould, from which it differs merely in having 

 more rufous on the under parts. I have not been able to com- 

 pare specimens in order to convince myself that it is specifically 

 separable. 



285. ROCK NUTHATCH. 

 SITTA NEUMAYERI. 



Sitta neumayeri, Michah. Isis. 1830 p. 814 ; Dresser, iii. p. 183, pi. 120 ; 

 Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 345 ; S. rufescens, Gould, B. of 

 E. iii. pi. 235 ; S. rupicola, Blanf., Ibis. 1873, p. 87. 



Picchiotto-rupestre, Ital. ; Tsopanakos, Greek ; Felsenspechtmeise r 

 German ; Popolsen-skalistyi, Russ. 



< ad. (Macedonia). In general appearance resembles S. europcva but 

 differs in lacking the chestnut on the under parts, the flanks, abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts being warm rufous buff, the tail dark plumbeous 

 grey without any white, the central feathers and outer webs of the rest 

 coloured like the back ; beak blackish horn ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark 

 brown. Culmen 0'9, wing 3*0, tail T8, tarsus 0'9 inch. Sexes aliki. 



