go SITTID^. 



S. magna, a giant amongst the rest. Though allied to the Paridse, the Nuthatches 

 have sufficient differences of bill, feet, and general shape to justify their being placed 

 in a separate family. Dr. Coues has described these points very fully in his ' Birds 

 of the Colorado Valley,' where also a good account will be found of the habits of 

 several American species. 



1. Sitta aculeata. 



Sitta aculeata, Cass. Pr. Ac. Phil. viii. p. 254 ' ; Baird, Eev. Am. B. p. 86 \ 



Sitta carolinensis, Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 293', 1858, p. 300^ 1859, pp. 363', 373' (nee Latham). 



Sitta carolinensis (vel aculeata), Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 544 ^ 



Sitta carolinensis, var. aculeata, Baird, Brew. & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 117*. 



Sitta carolinensis aculeata, Coues, B. Col. Vail. i. p. 134°. 



Supra caeruleo-plumbea, pileo toto cum nucha sericeo-nigris, superciliis et capitis lateribus cum gula albis, 

 corpore subtus fusco-albido, tibiis et crisso castaneis ; caudse rectrieibus mediis dorso concoloribus, reliquis 

 nigris, extimis utrinque pogonio extemo (praster apicem) albis, his et duabus rectrieibus utrinque proximis 

 apioem versus albo maculatis ; alis fusco-nigris, primariis intus ad basin albis, subalaribus nigerrimis ; 

 rostro obscure plumbeo, maxilla ad basin paUide corneo ; pedibus coryHnis. Long, tota 5-2, alse 3'6, 

 caudse 1-9, rostri a rictu 0-85, tarsi 0*75. (Descr. exempl. ex Jalapa, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 



Eab. Western and middle provinces of Noeth America s. — Mexico {Salle^), La 

 Parada^ and Cinco Senores* (Boucard), Jalapa {de Oca^), Tierra fria {le Strange), 

 Moyoapam and Popocatepetl (Sumichrast '^). 



Mexican specimens of this Nuthatch belong to the western form of Sitta carolinensis 

 (which Cassin distinguished by the name S. aculeata), rather than to the eastern bird. 

 The difference, however, between the two is very slight, consisting chiefly in the 

 western bird having a much slenderer bill, and in the spots on the tertial feathers being 

 obsolete instead of well defined. Though granted full specific rank by Cassin ^, and by 

 Prof. Baird in his ' Keview'^, S. aculeata has since been placed as a "variety" or race 

 of S. carolinensis by writers on North-American birds ^ ^. The relationship between 

 the two is undoubtedly close ; but, we believe, intermediate links have not yet been 

 discovered connecting them. Anyhow, the position of the Mexican bird, with reference 

 to those of the north, is best shown by calling it Sitta aculeata. In Mexico a certain 

 amount of variation exists between birds of different localities, Mr. Sclater having 

 shown 5 that Oaxaca specimens are smaller in all their dimensions than those from Vera 

 Cruz ; but all possess the attenuated bill of S. aculeata ; and therefore the generally 

 smaller size of Oaxaca birds is, perhaps, of not much significance. This Nuthatch 

 would appear to be an inhabitant of the higher pine-forests of Southern Mexico, having 

 been obtained by Prof. Sumichrast at Moyoapam at an elevation of 8200 feet, and 

 at a great height on the sides of the volcano of Popocatepetl ^. 



2. Sitta pygmaea. 



Sitta pygmaa, Vig. Zool. Voy. Blossom, p. 25, t. 4. f. 2' j Scl. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 363''; Baird, Rev. 



