BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. 
253 
This species is four inches and a quarter long, and eight 
broad ; the whole upper part of the head and neck, from the 
bill to the back, and as far down as the eyes, is light brown, or 
pale ferruginous, shaded with darker touches, with the excep- 
tion of a spot of white near the back ; from the nostril through 
the eyes, the brown is deepest, making a very observable line 
there ; the chin, and sides of the neck under the eyes, are 
white ; the wings, dusky ; the coverts and three secondaries 
next the body, a slate or lead colour ; which is also the colour 
of the rest of the upper parts ; the tail is nearly even at the 
end, the two middle feathers slate colour, the others black, 
tipped with slate, and crossed diagonally with a streak of 
white ; legs and feet, dull blue ; upper mandible, black ; lower, 
blue at the base ; iris, hazel. The female differs in having the 
brown on the head rather darker, and the line through the eye 
less conspicuous. 
This diminutive bird is little noticed in history, and wffiat 
little has been said of it by Europeans is not much to its credit. 
It is characterized as cf a very stupid bird,” which may easily 
be knocked down, from the sides of the tree, with one’s cane. 
I confess I found it a very dexterous climber ; and so rapid and 
restless in its motions as to be shot with difficulty. Almost all 
very small birds seem less suspicious of man than large ones ; 
but, that activity and restless diligence should constitute 
stupidity, is rather a new doctrine. Upon the whole, I am of 
opinion, that a person who should undertake the destruction of 
these birds, at even a dollar a-head for all he knocked down with 
his cane, would run a fair chance of starving by his profession.* 
* In our note at page 36 of this volume, we mentioned, that the American 
Nuthatches and that of Europe were the only species known. M. Vigors has 
■since described, in the proceedings of the Committee of Science of the 
Zoological Society, one under the name of Sitta castaneoventris from India, 
which, if true to the type, may prove an addition. In the same place, that 
gentleman also describes a second species of Certhia, ( C. spilonata,) but adds, 
“ the tail of this bird is soft and flexible.” We have noticed, in a former note, 
the C. familiaris as the only known species, and we doubt if that now men- 
tioned can rank with it. — Ed. 
