SITTA LEUCOPS]I S, Gould.
White-faced Nuthatch.

Sitta leucopsis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., November 13, 1849.

 

Tur White-faced Nuthatch is more nearly allied to the Sitta Carolinensis than to any other known species,
but differs from that bird in having a much shorter wing, in the rufous colouring of its flanks and under
tail-coverts, and in the much smaller amount of white on the outer tail-feathers. Of all the Asiatic Nut-
hatches this is the rarest in the collections of Europe, no example, so far as I am aware, being contained in
any public Museum: Captain Hay’s collection of Indian birds lately brought to this country comprised
examples, which are now in my own cabinet. Lord Arthur Hay, who diligently studied the birds of India
while resident in that country, informs me that it is an inhabitant of the Himalaya, and that he often met
with it during his rambles; but I believe his Lordship did not collect specimens. Mr. Blyth, in his obser-

vations on the subfamily Si¢tine (Nuthatches), has given a short description of a species without assigning

 

to it a specific name, which is doubtless identical with the present bird; his words are

** §. ———? Size about that of 8. cesia, with long and slender bill, a black cap, white breast and
throat, and dark chestnut belly.

‘‘ Hab. Interior of N.W. Himalaya.”

Crown of the head and back of neck jet-black ; all the upper surface deep blue-grey; primaries black
edged with grey; centre tail-feathers blue-grey ; lateral feathers black tipped with blue-grey, the two outer
ones on each side with a small spot of white on the inner web near the tip; face, chin, throat, breast, and
centre of the abdomen white, the latter slightly washed with buff; flanks and under tail-coverts bright
chestnut ; bill black, with a blue-grey base ; legs grey.

The figures are of the natural size.