69^) I'^KLD Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



plumage, bluisli gray; throat, white or wliitisli; rest of under parts, 

 pale rusty bro^vn, deepest on the sides and lower belly; under tail 



coverts, rusty brown, with pale tips; 

 primaries, dark grayish brown or fus- 

 cous; middle tail feathers like back; 

 outer feathers, black, with subterminal 

 white band, the tips, black. 



Adult female: Similar, but without 

 black crown; the stripe through the eye 

 dull blackish, not clear black as in the 

 male. 



Length, 4.60; wing, 2.60; tail, 1.50; 

 bill, .50. 

 The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a casual summer resident in Wis- 

 consin and has been known to nest in northern Illinois. It is, how- 

 ever, abundant in spring and fall during the migrations in both states 

 and a few remain during the winter. Its note somewhat resembles 

 that of the White-breasted Nuthatch but is much higher and is 

 repeated more hurriedly. 



Mr. E. W. Nelson says: "A rare summer resident. I found a pair 

 near Chicago with full grown young the first of July, and Mr. Rice 

 observed a pair feeding unfledged young the last of April, 1874, near 

 Evanston. The excavation containing the nest was in a tree stand- 

 ing on one of the principal streets of the town." (Birds N. E. 111., 

 1876, p. 96.) 



Dr. Hoy writes: "A few nest near Racine and a greater number 

 in the pine regions in the northern part of the state." (Wisconsin.) 

 Kumlien and Hollister say: "A regular spring and fall migrant, 

 but not so common as the w^hite-breast. Mr. Clark has found it in 

 winter in Dunn County, and it occurs as late sometimes as Novem- 

 ber in Walworth, Jefferson, and Rock Counties, though usually found 

 in April and September. It was found nesting at Pine Lake, near 

 Hartland, July, 1888. The nest was about 10 feet above the ground 

 in a pine stub, and contained young (L. K.)." (Birds of Wisconsin, 

 1903, p. 124.) 



The nest is in a hole in a tree or stump. The eggs are 5 or 6, 

 white, speckled with brown and purplish gray, and measure about 

 .61 X .48 inches. 



The Brown-headed Nuthatch, Siita pusilla Lath., probably occurs 

 as a straggler in southern Illinois. Mr. Otto Widmann observed a 

 specimen within the St. Louis city limits, May 6, 1878 (Bull. Nutt. 

 Orn. Club, Vol. V 1880, p. 191); and Mr. J. M. Wheaton states a 



