• SITTING. 387 



251. Sitta cinnamomeoventris, Blyth. 



J. A. S., XL, 459— Blyth, Cat. 1141— HoRsF., Cat. 1052— 

 Gould, Birds of Asia, pi. 8 — S. nipalensis, apud Bonap. — Sisi, H. 

 — Sidliyi-pMp, Lepcli. 



The Cinnamon-bellied Nuthatch. 



Descr. — Above, ashy-plumbeous, lightest on the head and neck ; 

 beneath, white on the chin and lores ; neck, breast, abdomen, and 

 lower tail-coverts, deep bright cinnamon-chesnut in the male, 

 dull rusty cinnamon-colour in the female ; a black eye-streak from 

 the nostrils ; the tertiaries have their internal webs black, extending 

 more or less to the outer web ; tail-feathers deep black, with a white 

 spot on the inner webs (except the outer one which has only a trace 

 of white), and a grey spot on the outer ; all tipped with dusky. 



Length 5| inches; wing 3^; tail If; extent II; bill at front 

 nearly | ; foot 1\^. 



This species is very closely allied to the last ; the bill is broader, 

 not so much compressed, and it is a somewhat stouter bird. It has 

 only been procured in the South-eastern Himalayas. I found it in 

 Sikhim, from 2,000 feet to nearly 6,000 feet. Buch. Hamilton, in 

 his MSS., as quoted by Horsfield, says that he found it at Chunar 

 in mango-groves, in pairs or families, and that it was said to retire 

 to the hills in the rains. Surely he must have had the last species 

 {castaneoventris) in view, and not this one. 



252. Sitta formosa, Blyth. 



J. A. S., XIL, 938— Blyth, Cat. lldS—TishS kuiji gumbo, 

 Lepch. 



The Beautiful Nuthatch. 



Descr. — Black, splendidly variegated with different shades of 

 blue ; streaked with cobalt-blue on the head, and with azure-blue 

 on the back, and with whitish, mixed with lavender, on the sides of 

 the neck; the shoulders, lesser wing-coverts, the scapulars, lower 

 back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, verdigris-blue ; the greater Aving- 

 coverts and tertiaries black, elegantly margined with white at their 



