96 
Synopsis of the Birds 
moderate ; spurious feather short ; second, third and fourth 
primaries longest. Tail rather short, of twelve feathers 
broad aud rounded at tip. 
Sexes similar : young differing but little from the adult. 
Moult once a year. 
Participate in the habits of the Pici, of the Certhise, and of 
the Pari. Dwell in woods : climb the trunk and branches of 
trees, both ascending and descending. Feed principally on 
insects and larvae, which they extract from trees in the man- 
ner of the Woodpeckers ; when pressed by hunger perforate 
nuts and fruits with their bill. Build in hollow trees ; egg s 
numerous. 
Inhabit all cold and temperate countries. Closely related 
to Parus, from which the Anthomyzi ought not to separate 
them.* 
152. Sitta carolinensis, Briss. Plumbeous ; head and neck 
above black ; beneath pure while ; vent light ferruginous ; 
lateral tail feathers black and white. 
Young, head plumbeous. 
White breasted black-capped Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis , 
M ils Am. Om. i. p. 40. pi. 2. fig. 3. 
Inhabits throughout North America : common : resident. 
153. Sitta canadensis, L. Plumbeous; head and neck above, 
and line through the eye, black ; beneath rusty ; lateral tail 
feathers black and white. 
Young, head plumbeous. 
White-breasted black-capped Nuthatch , Wils . Am. Orn. i. 
p. 40. pi. 2. Jig. 4. 
^Authors disagree respecting the collocation of this genus. Cuvier 
and Uliger, attending only to the character of the bill, place it near Stur- 
nus ; but almost all other authors, with much more propriety, arrange it 
with Dendrocolaptes and Certhia, between which genera its natural sta- 
tion seems to be. 
