( 130 ) 



Celebes, Banda, etc., being inhabited by other species. If they are separable by the 

 bill only, theu tliere arises the question whether to treat them as subspecies or 

 species. The difference is so small that one is not easily con^-inced that it is of 

 specific value, but the distribution seems to speak more in favour of specific se])ara- 

 tion. Doherty only got one ? on Sula Mangoli, in October 1S97. He describes 

 "the iris as deep brown : feet flesh-cnloiir, claws slightly greyer; bill bniwu-bluck, 

 gape reddish." 



There is, in my opinion, no doubt whatever that Brisson's Merle tert <les 

 Moluque.1 (Orn. II. p. 31(i) and Daubenton's Merle ile _ZJ^//y«/e (Planche 258) are 

 referable to P. irena. Their localities are of course wrong, but the figure agrees 

 with no other Pitta except P. mariu Hart., which they cannot have known theu, 

 Sumba birds never having reached p]nrope in the last century. Fortunately the 

 name brachiiurux which was based on Daubenton's plate cannot be used, as Liunueus 

 had already named the South Indian Ant-Thrush Cormix brachtjurus, though he 

 confounded Brisson's description with it, in which the black throat peculiar to 

 P. ireiM and absent in P. brachyurus is described. 



18. Pitta dohertyi Rothsch. 



In Bull. Orii. ( 'lub No. LI. (February 2(ith, 1898) this remarkalile new Pitto has 

 been described about as follows : i ad. Top of the head and naj)e brownish red, 

 darker on the forehead, in the middle of which, at the base of the cnlmen, are a few 

 pale bluish feathers. Entire throat and a ring round the neck black ; the feathers 

 in the middle of the throat with concealed white bases. A broad band across the 

 lower throat and upper back — interrupted on the sides of the neck by a pale 

 greenish spot— pale blue (each feather with black base), followed by a broad black 

 baud across the upper breast. Lower breast, entire abdomen, and under tall-coverts 

 red, with white and black bases to the feathers. Back and scapulars olive-green, 

 darker in the middle of the feathers. Least wing-coverts dark olive, the remainder 

 blue with light whitish blue edges, those near the shoulder with partially or almost 

 entirely white outer webs. Rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail pale blue. Qnills black, 

 tips brownish with a bluish wash ; second to fifth primary with a white speculum, 

 occupying the inner web only on the second, both webs on the third and fourth, aud 

 becoming smaller or even obsolete on the fifth primary. Secondaries with blue 

 borders to the outer webs. Under wing-coverts brown. " Iris deep chestnut-brown; 

 feet purplisli grey; bill black, gape aud tip of culmen dull ochreons." Wing 

 99 mm.; tail 39; bill 20; tarsus 40. Hhe female has the throat brownish black, 

 the iris, according to the note on the label, " white, slightly bluish." Dimensions 

 of tha feinale a little smaller. The young bird has the iris •' deej) brown," the 

 abdomen pale brown, mixed with the new red feathers, which come out by a perfect 

 moult, the feathers of the throat light brown at base and at the tip, black on the 

 sides. 



Mr. Doherty got only three s])ecimens, a male, na female, and a young mule, all 

 from Snia Mangoli. 



The deep black throat and bieast-band and the scaly appearance of the upper 

 parts distinguish this bird at a glance from the other species with red abdomen. 



19. Phylloscopus borealis (Bias.). 

 ?, Sula Besi, November l^'.l7. 



