440 
Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain on the 
43. Certhia eamiltaris corsa Hartert. Corsican Tree- 
Creeper. 
Certhia familiaris corsa Hartert, Vogel der palaarkt. 
Fauna, i. p. 320 (1905—Corsica). 
Although this bird is far from common, a few pairs are 
resident in most of the mountain forests, hut it is apparently 
absent from the low ground. It is slightly larger than the 
mid-European form, with a long hill and more distinct 
markings on the upper surface. It haunts both the chest¬ 
nut and pine forests. Wharton observed it in the chestnut 
groves at Corte, and Backhouse also met with it in similar 
localities in winter; while both Whitehead and I found it 
sparingly distributed in the pine forests, and two nests, each 
containing five eggs, were taken by me about May 20-26 
at over 3000 ft. alt. : the usual site appears to be behind a 
piece of loose bark. The average size of ten Corsican eggs 
is 16*13x12*4 mm.; max. 16*6 x 12*4 and 16*4x12*7; 
min. 15*5x12*3 and 16x12*2. Unlike the eggs of C. 
brachydactyla , they are only sparingly marked, chiefly at 
the big end, with red-brown spots, which tend to form a zone. 
44. Sitta canadensis whiteheadi Sharpe. Whitehead’s 
Nuthatch. 
Sitta whiteheadi Sharpe, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1884, 
pp. 233, 414, pi. xxxvi. 
Local name: Pichiu (Giglioli). This most interesting 
little Nuthatch, distinguishable at a glance by the black 
cap of the male, was discovered by John Whitehead on 
June 12, 1883, when he shot a single cock bird. In the 
following season he returned to the same locality early in 
May, and succeeded not only in obtaining several specimens 
but also in discovering the nest and eggs. During eleven 
days 5 work in the mountain forests he found nine nests, but 
some of these were in holes 70 to 100 ft. from the ground, 
in dead and much decayed pine-trees, and were quite in¬ 
accessible. Believing the bird to be confined, to this one 
district and not wishing to hasten its extermination. White- 
head never divulged the locality where he obtained his 
