184 
CALIFORNIAN NUTHATCH. 
i 
Sitta pygmea, Vigors. 
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. 
Californian Nuthatch, Sitta pygmcea. Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 163. 
Adult, 3I|, wing, 3 r 5 a. 
California. 
Adult. 
Bill of moderate length, rather slender, subconical, 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 brownisli-wlnte. 
Length to end of tail inches ; bill along the ridge fj ; wing from 
flexure 3 A ; tail 1^. 
