NESTS AIVD EGGS OF AUSTRALIA IV BIRDS. 



FAMILY— PITTID^ : ANT THRUSHES. 



525 



419. — Pitta strepitans, Tcmminck. — (269) 

 PITTA. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv., pi. i. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xiv., p. 428. 

 Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia, Hand- 

 book, vol. i., p. 431 (1865); Ramsay: Ibis, p. 417 with pi. 



{1867); North: .\ustn. Mus. Cat., pi. ii, fig. 7 (1SS9). 



Geogrnjihical Di.'itrihutiun. — Queensland and New South Wales. 



Next. — Covered or dome - shaped, side entrance with stage - like 

 approach; composed of sticks, dead leaves, skeleton portions of stag- 

 liorn ( Platyccrium) fronds and chiefly moss, small pieces of decayed 

 wood being placed round the entrance ; situated on or near the ground, 

 usually between the spurs of fig or otlier tree, sometimes protected by 

 a rock, in dense scrub. Dimensions over all, 8 to 9 inches across by 

 11 J inches in height; inside cavity, 5i to 6 inches in diameter; 

 entrance 3 to 3i inches across ; length of staging 6 inches. 



Egcjs. — Clutch, three to four, rarely five ; roundish in shape, slightly 

 more compressed at one end ; texture of shell somewhat fine ; surface 

 glossy ; colour, pearly-white, spotted and blotched, sometimes iiTegularly 

 splashed with dark-brown, chestnut, and purplish-grey. Dimensions 

 in inches of a perfect pair from the Richmond River district : 

 (1) 1-31 X -99, (2) 1-3 X -97. 



A full set of four has one example (No. 4) almost white, save a 

 few speckles on the smaller end. There is usuallv one light-coloured 

 egg in a clutch: (1) 1-27 x 1-01, (2) 1-26 xl"o, (3) 1-2") x 1-01, 

 (4)'l-22xl-03, (Plate 16.) 



Observations. — This handsomely coloured bird of tlirush-Iike habits 

 is essentially a dweller of the luxuriant coastal scrubs from the northern 

 part of New South Wales up to the Cardwell district, Queensland. 



Dr. Ramsay mentions a single specimen was shot near Wollongong, 

 south of Sydney, 1883. 



Mr. F. Sti'ange, who first obtained the eggs of the Pitta, sent them 

 to Gould with the following note : — " I never saw any bird whose 

 actions are more graceful than those of the Pitta strepitans, when seen 

 in its native brushes, where its presence is indicated by the singular 

 call, resembling the words ' want a watch,' by imitating which you can 

 bring it close to the muzzle of yotir gun. No sooner, however, does it 

 commence breeding, than it becomes shy and retiring, keeping out of 

 sight in the most artful manner, nio\'ing about from place to place, 

 and occasionally uttering its cry, until it has drawn you away from 

 the nest." 



