440 Rev. F. C. 11. Jonrduin on the 



43. Cehthia FAMiLiAins coKSA Hai'tcit. Coisicau Tiee- 

 ('ree|)er. 



Ctrthiu fuiiiUiaris corsa Hartcit, Yogel der pala.iikt. 

 Fauna, i. p. 320 (1905— Corsica). 



Although this bird is far from common, a few pairs are 

 resident in most of the mountain forests, hut it is apparently- 

 absent from the low ground. It is sliglitly larger than the 

 mid-European form, with a long bill and more distinct 

 markings on the upper surface. It haunts both tlie chest- 

 nut and pine forests. Wharton observed it in the chestnut 

 eroves at Corte, and Backhouse also met with it in siuiihir 

 localities in winter ; while both Whitehead and I found it 

 sparingly distributed in the pine forests, and two n.ests, each 

 containing five eggs, were tid<en by me about INIay 20-.'2G 

 at over 3000 ft. alt. : tlie usual site appears to be behind a 

 piece of loose bark. The average size of ten Corsicau eggs 

 is 16-13 X 12-4 mm. ; max. 16-0 x 12-4 and lG-4xl2-7; 

 min. 15-5 X 12-3 and 1(5 x 12-2. Unlike the eggs of C. 

 brachydactijla, they are only sparingly marked, chiefly at 

 the big end, with red-brown spots, which tend to form a zone. 



44. SiTTA CANADENSIS AVHiTEHKADi Sharpc. ^Vliitclicad's 

 Nuthatch. 



Sitta ivhiteheadi Sharpe, Proc. Zool. Soc. Loudon, 1881, 

 pp. 233, 414, pi. xxxvi. 



Local name: Pichiu (Giglioli). This most interesting 

 little Nuthatch, distinguishable at a glance by the black 

 cap of the male, was discovend by John Whitehead on 

 June 12, 1883, when he shot a single cock bird. In the 

 following season he returned to the same locality early in 

 May, and succeeded not only in obtaining several specimens 

 but also in discovering the nest and eggs. During eleven 

 days' work in the mountain forests he found nine nests, but 

 some of these were in holes 70 to 100 ft. from the ground, 

 in dead and much decayed pine-trees, and were quite in- 

 accessible. Eelieving the bird to be confined to this one 

 district and not wishing to hasten its extermination. White- 

 head never divulged the locality where he obtained his 



