100 



FAMILY v.— SITTID^^, 



{The Nuthatches.) 



Ten primaries ; the first spurious. Wings long and pointed, much' longer than 

 the broad soft tail. Bill notched, slender, straight, about head. Scutellate tarsus, 

 shorter than middle toe and claw. Body depressed ; plumage lax. Active, nimble 

 little birds, running up and down trees, hanging in every way, the head down as 

 often as up. Species twenty-five to thirty, in most parts of the world. 



SITTA. Linn. Nuthatches. 



i6. S. CAROLINENSIS. White-Bellied Nuthatch. '^ Sap Sticker.'' (Not the 

 " sap-sucking woodpecker.") Ashy blue above, white below ; crissum rusty brown , 

 crown and nape black in male; L. 5j^ ; W. 3^ ; T. 2. A well-known resident. 



17. S. CANADENSIS, L. Red-Bellied Nuthatch. Smaller; rusty brown be- 

 low. Crown in male glossy black ; in female, blue; in both with white and black 

 stripes at the border. A rare summer resident north, and irregular winter resident 

 south. I have seen them often about Indianapolis in the fall, but rarely in the 

 spring. More northerly than the Carolina nuthatch ; a pretty bird. 



FAMILY YL CERTHIID^. 



First primary short. Bill slender, long as head, decurved ; no notch or bristles. 

 Claws all long and curved. Wings about equal tail. Tail-feathers almost as stiff 

 and sharp as the woodpecker's, and used in climbing, the same way. Habits like 

 nuthatches. Voice small and fine. 



CERTHIA. Linn. Brown Creepers. 



18. C. FAMILIARIS. Linn. Brovjn Creeper. Dark brown ; much barred 

 and streaked; rump clear tawny. L. 5J^ ; W. 23^ ; T. 23^. A curious little bird, 

 known at once by its tail. 



A winter resident throughout the State. Comes from the north October i, and 

 stays until May. Runs spirally around the tree from the ground up. Also " hunts 

 spiders on the rough brick walls of houses." (E. W. Nelson, Chicago.) 



FAMILY YII. TROGLODYTID.E. 



{The Wrens) 



Primaries 10 ; the first short. Wings rounded = tail. Bill usually slender, long, 

 unnotched. Nostrils oval, without bristles, overhung by a scale-like membrane. 



