Vol. XXIII, pp. 65-66 April 19, 1910 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW BIRD FROM THE ISLAND OF CERAM, 



MOLUCCAS. \<;V 



BY F. MUIR AND J. C. KERSHAW. 



While collecting in the Dutch East Indies a new Pitta was 

 captured whicli may be known as 



Pitta piroensis sp. nov. 



Type. — All adult male from Piroe, Ceram, Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology, Cat. No. 49,997, collected by the authors, March 2, 1909. 



Description. — Forehead and upper part of head and neck dark red- 

 brown, the crown divided by an obscure median bluish stripe: a large 

 sub-quadrangular scarlet nuchal patch. Throat dark brown, shading into 

 black on upper jiart of l>reast. Ear coverts and lower part of breast 

 silvery blue-gray. Back and scapulars dark olive green. Tail and upper 

 tail coverts grayisli-blue. Bend of wing nearly black, feathers lighter 

 round edge ; lesser coverts blue-gray, the feathers dark brown at base ; 

 greater coverts very dark brown, edged and tipped with dark blue-gray. 

 Primaries nearly black, the 2d, 3d, 4th and 5tli witli a white speculum 

 marking, but only the 4th and oth have the white on the upper side of the 

 outer web. Under wing-coverts dark bluish gray. Belly, A'ent and under 

 tail-coverts scarlet. Eyes brown ; bill black ; legs and feet pale lead 

 color; claws brownish; soles of feet ochreous. Total length, 6j^ in. ; 

 wing, 3% in. ; tail, 1% in. ; bill (to gape), 1 in. ; tarsus, 1^ in. 



This species differs from P. rubrinucha "Wallace, in its slightly smaller 

 size, its silvery blue-gray ear-coverts, in the absence of the black line 

 separating the silvery blue-gray of the breast from the scarlet belly, in 

 the absence of a white shoulder spot, and in the different marking of the 

 white speculum spot on the primaries. 



14— Pnoc. BroL. Soc. Wash.. Vol. XXIII, 1910. (G5) 



