184 



CALIFORNIAN NUTHATCH. 



-i-SlTTA PYGMEA, VigOTS. 



PLATE CCL.— Adult. 



The figures of this species were drawn from a specimen kindly lent me 

 by the Council of the Zoological Society of London. It was procured by 

 Captain Beechey in Upper California, and is therefore entitled to a place in 

 our Fauna. Nothing is known of the habits of this bird, nor do I even 

 know the sex of the individual figured. 



Caufornian Nuthatch, Sitta pygvicea, Aud.Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 163. 



Adult, 3-j-f , wing, 3 T V 



California. 



Adult. 



Bill of moderate length, rather slender, subcorneal, compressed, the tip 

 depressed; upper mandible slightly convex in the dorsal outline, the sides 

 sloping, the edges sharp and overlapping; lower mandible with the angle 

 short and rather narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex. 

 Nostrils basal, lateral, oblong. 



Head rather large, ovate; neck short; body short. Feet rather short and 

 strong; tarsus compressed, anteriorly scutellate, behind sharp; toes free, 

 scutellate above, the hind toe very large and strong; claws arched, much 

 compressed, laterally grooved, acute, that of the hind toe much larger. 



Plumage soft and blended. Wings of ordinary length; the first quill very 

 small, the second considerably shorter than the third, the fourth longest. 

 Tail very short, even, of twelve rounded soft feathers. 



Bill bluish-black. Feet and claws reddish-brown. The upper part of the 

 head and the hind neck are dull greyish-brown; the upper parts of the body 

 dull leaden-grey; the quills and tail-feathers dusky, margined with light 

 grey, the two lateral tail-feathers on each side with a white band toward the 

 base; the lower parts brownish-white. 



Length to end of tail 3{| inches; bill along the ridge f J; wing from 

 flexure 3^; tail l£. 



