358 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



Family Sittidce. 

 Bill subulate, straight or curved upwards, slightly longer 

 than rest of head, never toothed. Wings long and pointed, 

 double the length of the tail. Tail rounded or square, short. 

 Sexes alike or slightly differing in plumage. Insectivorous. All 

 over the world except the Neotropical and Ethiopian regions. 



Genus Neositta. (Sittella) . 

 Bill curved upwards. Nostrils with a cutaneous valve. Tree- 

 runners. Australia, with one species in New Guinea. 



Key to the Species. 



I. A large patch of rusty red on the wing, formed of the 

 middle thirds of the quills. 



a. Breast and abdomen dingy white, streaked with 



brown. 

 Crown of head dark brown. N. chrysoptera. 



Head and neck white all round. N. leucocephala. 



b. Breast and abdomen pure white, iiot streaked with 



brown. 

 Crown of head black. N. pileata. 



Crown of head blackish-brown, wing patch half 



white, half rusty. N. tenuirostris. 



II. A large patch of pure white on the wing, formed of 

 the middle thirds of the quills. 



a. Head above black. 



Breast and abdomen much streaked. N. striata. 



Breast and abdomen white without streaks. N. leucoptera. 



b. Head white all round. N. albata 



Small birds about four inches in total length, generally 

 brown above and white below, without bright colours except for 

 the rich rufous or white patch on the wing. They occur in small 

 companies, and run over the branches of the trees with great 

 ease and skill, assuming every possible varietj' of position, but 

 differ from the Tree-Creepers in hunting down and not up the 

 tree. The flight is quick and darting as it flits from one tree 

 to another. 



Nest situated on the bark of an upright dead limb, cup- 

 shaped, composed of downy substances. On the outside are 

 worked on by cobwebs small pieces of bark, which so liken the 

 nest to the rest of the limb that it is extremely difficult to 

 detect. Clutch of eggs three, smooth, whitish, mottled all over 

 with slate-coloured or greenish spots. Dimensions .67 x .54 

 inch. 



