SITTA.
Small climbing birds; sexes nearly alike; food, insects and larvae, corn, nuts, fruit ; nest in crevices of rocks or holes in trees, entrance narrowed by plastered mud; eggs like those of "Certhia." Sitta europma europma L. NUTHATCH. Fr. Torchepot ; Ger. Kleiber ; ILrl. Picchiotto ; Sued. NotOcka.
d 9 Above bluish slate ; a black stripe through eye to nape ; central rectrices like back, remainder black with subterminal white spots or band ; beneath white, flanks and under tail coverts chestnut brown. Bill blackish horn above, whitish below. Legs and feet yellowish grey. Wing 78-91. Tarsus 17-20. Bill 18.5-19.5 (H.).
to 62' N., Sweden, Denmark (Zealand, Fiinen), N. Russia to 6o° N., east to Ufa and Samara. irregular occurrence in Finland.
S. europaaa homeyeri Hartert. Close to " euroFea" but with a slight ochreous tinge on breast and abdomen.
Resident—Baltic Provinces, E. Prussia, Poland.
S. europea uralensis Gloger. Like " europoea " but smaller. Wing 80-84 ; beneath pure white with less chestnut on flanks and under tail coverts.
Resident. —Ural Mountains, Volga Plain, Ufa, N.E. Samara (where it meets " europma") and S. Orenburg Provinces ; east into Siberia.
S. europma cassia Wolf. Like " europtua " but darker above ; chin, throat, cheeks, and ear coverts white ; underparts cinnamon buff, with chestnut flanks and under tail coverts. Wing 75-79. Resident —Denmark (Jutland), Middle and S. Europe (except Sicily, S. Spain and Portugal).
S. europwa britannica Hartert. Like " csia" but generally paler beneath and chestnut of flanks paler. Wing a 83-88, ? 8o-86 (W.). Bill 15-16.
Resident—England, Scotland (rare).
S. europeea hispaniensis Witherby. Resembles " britannica " in colour ; is greyer on upper parts and less buff below than " cxsia." Bill shorter and blunter than in either.
Resident.—S. Spain and Portugal.
S. europma atlas Lynes. Very similar to "ciesia" but bill conspicuously more slender, attenuate, base smaller. Feet and claws rather weaker. Wings a average 87 (Lynes).
Resident—Middle Atlas, Morocco.
S. europeea caucasica Reichenow. Very like "cassia" but bill 2-3 m.m. shorter and blunter ; an indistinct white line over black eye-stripe, ending in a spot behind the eye ; shade of under parts variable as in " Resident.—Caucasus.
Sitta whiteheadi Sharpe.
a Above blue slate, crown and ocular stripe black, eyebrow white, the two latter extending to nape ; beneath dull huffy white. Bill blackish, light blue at base. Legs and feet plumbeous. ? lacks black on head. Wing a 72, ? .70.5. Tarsus 17. Bill 15-16 (H.).
Mountains.
Sitta kriiperi Pclzeln.
4 Above blue slate, forecrown and head black, eyebrow, cheeks, and throat white ; beneath pale slaty grey with a chest nut patch on chest, under tail coverts chestnut with white tips. Bill dark horn, lighter at base. Legs and feet slate grey. Wing 76-77, ? 71-73. Tarsus 17-19. Bill 15-16. ? forepart of crown only black.
Resident.—Caucasus to Asia Minor.
Sitta neumayeri neumayeri 1111ChahelICS. ROCK NUTHATCH.
Somewhat resembles "S. europtea," but no chestnut on flanks and under tail coverts and no white spots on tail ; abdomen, flanks, and under tail coverts reddish buff. Bill blackish horn. Legs and feet blue grey. Wing 77-83 (H.). Tarsus 19-21. Bill 18-19. Sexes alike.
Resident.— S.E. Europe; Albania, Dalmatia, Herzegovina, and Croatia to Greece and Asia Minor.