BAM. SIPDIDAE 3 
3. Bill relatively longer, with gonys decidedly ascending terminally. Without any rosy 
ved colour on face and vump, the latter being, like upper taal coverts, mostly white. 3. Genus NEosiTTA. 
— Bill relatively shorter, with gonys nearly straight. Forehead, chin and a few spots 
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1. GENUS SITTA LINN4uS 
Sitta Linnezus, Syst. Nat., Ed. ro, p. 115 (1758) (sp. type : Sitta europaea Linnzeus). 
Sittella Rafinesque, Anal. Nat. p. 68 (1815) (nom. emend. pro Sztta Linnzus). 
Rupisitta Buturlin, Mitteil. Kauk. Mus. Vol. 3, p. 64 (1907) (types : « Rock-Nuthatches »). 
Characters. Bill robust, nearly as long as head, about equal to length of tarsus, at base 
somewhat wider than deep; culmen quite or nearly straight, rounded above; gonys more or 
less ascending terminally. Nostrils roundish or oval, non-operculate, or with operculum very 
indistinct, almost completely concealed by antrorse, bristly latero-frontal plumules. Rictal 
bristles conspicuous, though soft and rather short. Wing long, rather pointed; third, fourth and 
fifth primaries longest, fourth usually slightly exceeding the two others; second primary about 
equal to seventh or very slightly longer; first primary very small, less than one-third of second, 
sometimes scarcely longer than primary coverts; secondaries short, about three-fourths of 
whole wing, broadly rounded at tip; wing-tip decidedly longer than bill or tarsus. Tail short, 
generally slightly more, sometimes much less, than half as long as wing, even or very slightly 
rounded; the rectrices broad, with rounded tip. Tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe 
without claw; acrotarsium distinctly scutellate; middle toe much the longest, lateral toes 
very unequal, the inner (without claw) reaching only to second joint of middle toe, the outer 
reaching to middle of penultimate phalanx of middle toe; basal phalanx of middle toe united 
to outer toe for nearly the whole of its length, to inner toe less so; hallux equal to outer toe, 
but much stouter with claw much stronger and more decidedly curved, though distinctly shorter 
than the digit. Size extremely variable, length of wing varying from about 60 (S. pygiaea, 
S. pusilla) to 115 (S. magna), that of tail from 30 to 70 mm. 
Coloration. Sexes not or very little different. Above plain bluish, slaty or whitish grey, 
pileum and hindneck sometimes wholly or partly black or brown; the rectrices often partly 
black and white; in most of the old-world species a more or less distinct blackish stripe through 
the eye from nasal feathers to sides of neck; under parts white, buff, cinnamomeous, greyish, 
vinaceous, or chestnut, or with a mixture of two or more of these colours. Bill blackish, base 
‘ of lower mandible more or less yellowish. 
Geographical Distribution. Palearctic, Nearctic and Indo-Malayan Regions. Forty- 
six species and subspecies. 
Habits and Nidification. The large majority of the species inhabits forests, gardens, 
parks etc., while the so-called Rock-Nuthatches (nos. 40-46) exclusively frequent rocks and 
cliffs. The Nuthatches are the most perfect climbers, running up and down the trees and rocks, 
often head downward. In winter, they associate with Tits, Gold-crests and Woodpeckers to 
small flocks wandering about in search of food. Their nest, a voluminous, careless structure, 1s 
