270 



SYSTEMATIC SYXOPSIS. — PASSEjRES— OSCTXES. 



17. SITTA. (Lat. sitta. Gr. crirra. name of a Idrd. Fig. 141.) TvpiC-AX Xuthatches. 



Cliarai.-ters practicallv those triven under head of the family. 



Anali/sU oj' Sji^cicS and J'ari^tUs. 



Wliite below, the crissxim wasbed with rusty-browii ; cap glossy black, without stripes. 



Bill stouter, O.lS-0.20 deep at base Inner secondaries iK-ldly variegates! with black. Eastern 



carortneTl^is 57 

 Bill slenderer. 0.12-0.16 deep at base. Inner secondaries scarcely variegated with blackish. "Western 



acuhaCa 5^ 



Rusty -brown below : cap glossy black with white stripes, or color of the back cajuxd^n^is 59 



Ensty-brown or brownish-white below ; cap brown, unlike back, without stripes. 



Crown clear hair-brown ; a white spot on nape : niidtUe tail-feathers plain. Southeastern . pusUla on 

 Crown dull brownish, with darker border : little or no white on nape ; middle t;ul-feathers with 

 black. Southwestern pi/gmaa 6\ 



Fig. 141. — European Nuthatch, SiYfn cresia iresembling .S.yiiijiiV/iO. nearly nal size. iFrom Brehm.) 



S. carolinen sis. (Lat. of Caroliua. Fii;. llC.i Cakoi.ixa XrTH.\TCH. White-belliep 



Nuthatch. ^. adnlt: Upper parts, central tail- 

 featliers, aiul iiiueh edj;iug of the n-ings, clear ashv- 

 Mne : whole crown, nape, and back of the neck, glossy 

 Mack. Under parts, including sides of neck and head 

 to ahove eyes, dull white, more or less marked on the 

 tianlis and crissum with rusty-brown. ^Yinlrs and their 

 coverts blackish, much edged as already said, and with 

 an oblique bar of white on the outer webs of the pri- 

 maries towards their ends; concealed bases of primaries 

 white ; under wing-coverts mostly blackish : bold bluish 



(Ad nat. del. E. C.) and black variegation of the inner secondaries. Tail, 



Fig. 142. —Carolina Nuthatch, nat. si;;o. 



