( 163 ) 

 CALIFORNIAN NUTHATCH. 



SiTTA PYGMEA, ViGORS. 



PLATE CCCCXV. Adult. 



The figures of this species were drawn from a specimen kindly lent 

 me by the Coimcil of the Zoological Society of London. It was pro- 

 CTired by Captain Beechey in Upper California, and is therefore enti- 

 tled to a place in our Fauna. Nothing is known of the habits of this 

 bird, nor do I even know the sex of the individual figured. 



SiTTA PYGMEA, Vlg. 



Adult. Plate CCCCXV. Fig. 3, 4. 



Bill of moderate length, rather slender, subconical, compressed, the 

 tip depressed ; upper mandible slightly convex in the dorsal outline, the 

 sides sloping, the edges sharp and overlapping ; lower mandible with 

 the angle short and rather narrow, the dorsal line ascending and 

 slightly convex. Nostrils basal, lateral, oblong. 



Head rather large, ovate ; neck short ; body short. Feet rather 

 short and strong ; tarsus compressed, anteriorly scutellate, behind 

 sharp ; toes free, scutellate above, the hind toe very large and strong ; 

 claws arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, acute, that of the 

 hind toe much larger. 



Plmnage soft and blended. Wings of ordinary length ; the first 

 quill very small, the second considerably shorter than the third, the 

 fourth longest. Tail very short, even, of twelve rounded soft feathers. 



Bill bluish-black. Feet and claws reddish-brown. The upper part 

 of the head and the hind neck are dull greyish-brown ; the upper parts 

 of the body dull leaden-grey ; the quills and tail-feathers dusky, mar- 

 gined with light grey, the two lateral tail-feathers on each side with a 

 white band toward the base ; the lower parts brownish-white. 



Length to end of tail 3^§ inches ; bill along the ridge ^^g ; wing 

 from flexure 3/^ ; tail 1^. 



