56 DALMATIAN NUTHATCH. 



inch and one fifth in diameter. The inside of the nest is more regular 

 than the outside, but not very smooth, both having throughout a 

 granular surface, which is covered by the small pieces of earth stuck 

 one above another. The outer side differs also from the inner, in 

 being covered with resin and a red sticky mass, perhaps taken from 

 the poplar. When this is melted by the sun it not only makes the 

 whole impervious to wet, but makes it in appearance similar to the 

 wall on which it is placed. It is not possible to examine thus structure 

 without being struck with its beauty and adaptation. The inside is 

 lined with feathers, wool, and threads. It lays five or six eggs." 



The eggs are larger than those of the Common Nuthatch, four or 

 five in number, slightly elongated, white, with pale brick-red spots, 

 principally at the larger end. 



The male and female are alike in plumage. All the upper parts 

 are of a slaty blue; the ends of the closed wings being rich hair brown; 

 the throat, sides of the head, and chest white; abdomen, flanks, and 

 under tail coverts russet; from the angle of the jaws, through the 

 eyes and ear coverts, and extending to the scapularies, is a distinctly 

 defined black band; tail feathers brown, with their ends slightly tipped 

 with russet. Beak and feet black. 



My figure is taken from a specimen shot on February 22nd., 1858, 

 on Mount Taygetus, and kindly sent me by Mr. Tristram. The egg 

 is from my own collection, and was taken by Dr. Kriiper in Greece. 



The bird has also been figured by Bonaparte, Faun. Ital., pi. 26, 

 f. 2, and Gould, B. of E., pi. 235. 



I do not consider it necessary to give a figure of the Asiatic variety of 

 Sitta europceus , namely, S. uralensis, Lichtenstein, S. sericea, Temminck, 

 as I do not find any specific distinction between the two forms. S. 

 uralensis is found in the Caucasus and Siberia. By Pallas it was 

 denominated S. europcea, var. sibirica. The only asserted difference 

 given by authors is that the flanks are not rufous, as in the Common 

 Nuthatch. This is very much the same as making two human beings 

 of different species, one of whom had flaxen and the other red hair. 



Since the publication of the first edition Mr. Dresser has separated 

 the bird above mentioned from the species hitherto known as S. euro- 

 pceus, changing the name of the latter to ccesia, and restricting the 

 term europceus to the northern form. I still maintain that there is no 

 real specific difference in the two forms. The northern race has more 

 white upon its abdomen and less rufous, but as Mr. Dresser himself 

 remarks, "the habits and mode of nidification closely assimilate to our 



