( 63 ) 



3. Pitta atricapilla rosenbergi Schleg. 



Known only from Misori Island. Differs from mifoorana in the following 

 characters. The breast is devoid of the fine metcallic gloss ; the red of the abdomen 

 extends to the breast, which has no black patch ; the tail is quite black, with onl}' 

 an indicated or very narrow greenish tip to the rectrices. We have nine skins 

 collected by A. B. Meyer's and Bruijn's hunters. 



4. Pitta mackloti mackloti Temm. 



This Pitta is evidently distributed over the greater part of New Guinea and 

 several of the adjacent Papuan Islands. We have received specimens from 

 Mt. Cameron, 3000 ft. ; Eafa District, between Mts. Ale.xander and Bellamy, 5000 

 to 6000 ft. ; Dorey, Kapaur (Doherty) ; Mysol (Kiihn, Guillemard). Altogether 

 47 specimens. 



The shade and intensity of the red nuchal area varies much. It is much more 

 beautiful in freshly moulted individuals, while it fades a great deal before the moult. 



Individuals from Mysol agree with Pitta mackloti kuelini, except one labelled 

 Mysol, from Dr. Guillemard's collection, which cannot be separated from typical 

 mttckloti. 



5. Pitta mackloti aruensis subsp. nov. 



We have received four adult individuals from Wokau, Aru group, from H. 

 Kiihn. They are distinctly smaller than typical mackloti, the wing measuring only 

 97 to 102 mm., averaging about 100 ; while the wing of typical mackloti is 104 

 to 112 mm. long, averaging about lO(i. Salvadori found six Aru specimens with 

 wings only 97 to 100 mm. long {Orn. Pap., ii. p. 398), and also the Aru birds in 

 the British Museum are small. It is therefore desirable to separate the Aru form 

 subspecitically on account of its smaller dimensions. Bill 19 to 20'5 mm. ; 

 metatarsus 35 to 36 mm. It is also remarkable that Aru birds sometimes have 

 a strong blue wash on the back. We have one such individual from Wokan. 

 Among 30 adult P. mackloti mackloti which we examined we found none with any 

 blue shade above. 



Type of P. m. aruensis: 6 Wokan 4.10.1900. "Iris coffee-browu, feet 

 plumbeous, bill blackish." Heinrich Kiihn coll. 



6. Pitta mackloti loriae Salvad. 



This interesting form of Pitta was for the first time described from .Su-a-u 

 Island, off the South-East (.lape of New Guinea. Mr. Meek has also sent a fine 

 series from Milne Bay, and one from Chads Bay. He marks the iris as brown, feet 

 slate-colour and bluish slate, bill black. This form, however, must also occur m 

 other localities, for we have several individuals collected by Goldie, and one by 

 Weiske, without exact locality. 



P. loriae is a subspecies of the mackloti group, which differs from mackloti in 

 the top of the head and hind-neck being dark chestnut. There are generally more 

 or less reddish tips to the feathers on the forehead and hind-neck, but the latter 

 is not so pale reddish as in mackloti. The feathers of the crown are darker — 

 almost black — in the centre, and have sometimes faint bluish edges. There is 



