256 
S I T T A. 
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two middle are grey, the two exterior feathers tipped with 
grey, then succeeds a transverse spot, beneath that the rest 
is black ; the legs are of a pale yellow; the back toe very 
strong, and the claws large. Such is Mr. Pennant’s de¬ 
scription of the European nuthatch, who adds, that “ this 
bird runs up and down the bodies of trees like the wood¬ 
pecker tribe, and feeds not only on insects but on nuts, of 
which it lays up a considerable quantity, as winter provi¬ 
sion, in the hollows of trees. It breeds likewise in the hollows 
of trees; and if the entrance be too large, it stops up part 
of it with clay, leaving only room enough for admission. 
It autumn it begins a chattering noise, being silent the 
greater part of the year. This bird makes its nest of dead 
leaves, mostly of the oak, which it heaps together without 
much order. It lays six or seven eggs, which are white, 
spotted with rust colour, so exactly like those of the great 
titmouse, that it is almost impossible to distinguish them. 
No persecution will force this little bird from its habitation, 
when sitting: it defends its nest to the last extremity, strikes 
the invader with its bill and wings, and makes a hissing 
noise; and after every effort of defence, will suffer itself to 
be taken in hand, rather than quit its post.” 
“ The nuthatch,” says Colonel Montague, in his Orni¬ 
thological Dictionary, “ is more expert in climbing than 
the woodpecker; for it runs in all directions up and down a 
tree, whereas the other is never observed to descend: the 
stiff tail of those birds support them in the act of climbing 
and hacking. The flexible tail of the nuthatch gives it no 
such advantage, nor does it seem to want it; for its most 
favourite position, when breaking a nut, is with the head 
downwards. In autumn it is no uncommon thing to find, 
in the crevices of the bark of an old tree, a great many 
broken nut-shells, the work of this bird, who repeatedly 
returns to the same spot for this purpose. When it has 
fixed the nut firmly in a chink, it turns on all sides, in 
order to strike it with the most advantage. This, with the 
common hazel-nut, is a work of some labour; but it breaks 
the filberd with ease. In defect of such food, insects and 
their larvae are sought after among the moss on trees, and 
old thatched buildings. It is commonly met with about 
orchards, and is sometimes seen, in the cider season, picking 
the seeds from the refuse of the pressed apples. The note is 
various : in the spring it is a remarkably loud shrill whistle, 
which ceases after incubation ; in autumn it is a double re¬ 
iterated cry.” There is a variety, called the little nut¬ 
hatch, which is much smaller than the common nuthatch, 
and of a more noisy disposition. It resides in similar situa¬ 
tions, and is equally solitary ; associating only with its mate, 
and attacking any other it may happen to see. 
2. Sitta Canadensis, or Canada nuthatch.—Cinereous, 
beneath pale rufous; eye-lids white. This is of the size of 
the European species; the bill is blackish; crown of the head, 
hind part of the neck, and shoulders, black; the back and 
rump are of a light grey ; over each eye is a white line; the 
cheeks are white ; larger quill-feathers dusky, with grey 
edges; breast and belly pure white; the two middle tail- 
feathers are grey, the rest black, with a white spot at the 
tip ; the vent is ferruginous, and the legs are brown. It 
is, as its specific name imports, a native of Canada, and 
extends its journies as far south as New York. Mr. 
Pennant makes it a mere variety of the European nuthatch ; 
but by Linnaeus and Latham it is regarded as a distinct 
species. 
3. Sitta Carolinensis, or black-headed nuthatch.— Cinere¬ 
ous, beneath whitish; lower part of the belly reddish ; head 
and neck above black; lateral tail-feathers white, varied with 
black.—It is a native of the temperate parts of America, and 
of the island of Jamaica. 
4. Sitta Jamaicensis, or Jamaica nuthatch.—Cinereous, be¬ 
neath white; crown black; lateral tail-feathers blackish, 
tipped with transverse white lines. This has been described 
by Sir Hans Sloane in his natural History of Jamaica. It is 
of the size of the common nuthatch, the length being five 
inches and a half; the bill nearly an inch long, and black; the 
head is large, with a black crown. It is, as its specific name 
imports, a native of the island of Jamaica. It has also been 
found in many parts of South America, feeding on insects, 
and having the character of a stupid bird, easily suffering 
itself to be taken. From the size of its head, it is known in 
Jamaica by the name of loggerhead. There is a variety much 
less. t 
5. Sitta pusila, or small nuthatch.—Cinereous, beneath 
dirty white; the head is brown, with a dirty white spot 
behind; the lateral tail-feathers are black.—It inhabits North 
America, and is said to be found in Carolina throughout the 
whole year. 
6. Sitta major, or great nuthatch.—Grey, beneath whitish; 
the chin is white; the quill and tail-feathers brown, edged 
with orange. This is described by Sir Hans Sloane in the 
History of Jamaica; it is seven inches and a half long; the 
bill is thickest in the middle, and curved at the end; the 
head and back are grey; the under parts are whitish; the 
wings and tail are brown, with orange edges. It is a native 
of Jamaica, and feeds on worms, insects, &c. 
7. Sitta naevia, or spotted nuthatch.—Above it is of a lead- 
colour, beneath glaucous; the chin is white; the wing- 
coverts are spotted with white. This bird is described by 
Edwards under the title of wall-creeper of Surinam, who 
says, the bill is long in proportion, straight, somewhat com¬ 
pressed sideways, a little hooked at the point, and of a dusky 
brownish colour; the head, the hinder side of the neck, 
back, rump, tail, and wings, are of a dark blueish-lead 
colour; all the covert-feathers on the upper side of the 
wings are tipped with white; the insides of the quills and 
under side of the fail feathers are ash-coloured, lighter than 
they are above; the throat is white; the breast, belly, 
thighs, and coverts beneath the tail, are of a blueish-ash 
colour, lighter than the upper side of the bird; from the 
throat, as far as the legs, the breast is marked with white 
lines, drawn down the middle of each feather, which end in 
points; the legs and feet are of a dusky brown colour. The 
length of this bird is about six inches. It is, as its trivial 
name imports, a native of Surinam. 
8. Sitta Surinamensis, or Surinam nuthatch.—Reddish- 
chesnut, beneath it is of a dirty white; middle of the back 
white; wings and tail black; wing and tail-coverts tipped, 
and secondary quill-feathers edged, with white. This 
is a very small species, not much more than three inches 
in length; the bill is of a dusky brown, and a little curved; 
the hind-head and neck are marked with oblong black spots. 
It is, as its specific name imports, a native of Surinam. 
9. Sitta Caffra, or Cape nuthatch.—Body beneath is yel¬ 
low, above yellow, varied with black; the legs are black. 
—It inhabits the Cape of Good Hope. This was described 
by Sparmann, and is by him said to be nine inches in length, 
with a straight blueish-black bill; the front, hind part of 
the neck, and back, mixed with brown and yellow; cheeks, 
neck, breast, and under parts, are of a dusky yellow, as are 
also the edges and tips of the wing-feathers; the tail is dusky 
black, beneath olive; the two middle feathers longer than 
the rest; the legs are black. 
10. Sitta sinensis, or Chinese nuthatch.—The Specific Cha¬ 
racter of this, according to Gmelin, is, that the lower eye-lid 
is purple. But Dr. Shaw denominates it the ferruginous nut¬ 
hatch, with black head and neck, white breast and abdo¬ 
men, a red spot behind the eye, and another white one. 
This bird is described by Latham as something larger than 
the goldfinch; the bill and head are black; the back is of a 
deep blueish-ferruginous; the throat, breast, and belly, are 
white, but the throat is encompassed by a black band, 
descending from the sides of the head, which is black and 
crested; near the eye is a small scarlet spot, succeeded by 
a large white one; the rump is yellow ; the tail blackish, 
with a white tip; the bill and legs are black. It is, as its 
name denotes, a native of China, where it is said to be much 
esteemed on account of the elegance of its colours, and is a 
frequent ornament on Chinese papers. “ It appears," says 
Dr. Shaw, “ to be much allied to the Lanius jocosus, or 
red-vented shrike, and may perhaps prove, on future inves¬ 
tigation, to be no other than the same bird.” 
11. Sitta 
