528 IVESTS A.VD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



421. — Pitta macki.oti, Temminck. 

 BLUE-BREASTED PITTA. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., supp., pi. 29. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xiv., p. 436. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., supp. 

 (i86g); North: Austn. .Mus. Cat., p. 174, pi. 11. fig. 9 (1889). 



Geoffrajiliical Distrilution. — North Queensland; also New Guinea, 



New Britain. Am Islands, Mvsol. Sahvatti. and Waiijiou 



Next. — A locse structure of intcrhu'od gra.sses and fine fibre.s. In 

 one instance it w.as placed on the liead of a stump aliout six or seven 

 inches from the ground. (Gould.) 



Eijd'i. — Clutch, three to four; roundish in foini ; texture of 

 shell fine ; surface glos.sy ; colour, lightish cream or pale crcamy-bulT, 

 lightly blotched and splashed all over with dull-purple and a few darker 

 spots of olive. Dimensions in inches of a clutch: (1) 112x-86. 

 (2) Mix -88, (3) MxS6. The,se eggs, besides being .smaller thaji 

 those of itimillima, have their markings more i>!otch((l or of a cloudy 

 nature. (Mr. T. A. Brittlebank's collection.) 



Olixtrratirmx. — Referring to the riehly-coloured Macklot or Blue- 

 breasted Pitta, Gould states: — "I possess undoubted examples as well 

 as j-oung birds, from the neighbourhood of Somerset, in the Cape York 

 district, where thej' were collected liy Mr. James Cockereil, who informs 

 me that although not common it is sufficiently abundant there to render 

 the obtaining of examples a matter of no great difficulty. It inhabits 

 thick vine scrubs, based with stones and overriui with rank herbage of 

 various kinds. Its mournful whistle, which is most frecjucntly uttered 

 near sundown, is veiy deceptive, appearing to come from the oppo.site 

 direction in which the bird is stationed ; it is, in fact, a perfect ven- 

 triloquist. It sometimes leaves the ground, and may occasionally be 

 seen perched on the tops of the highest trees, where it sits very close." 



According to Mr. Cockcrcll's observations, the Macklot Pitta 

 appciired to be a partial migrant to Cape York, where it arrives in 

 October and November, departing again in .Taminrv atid Fcbniarw 

 presum.ibly for New Guinea. 



Mr. K. Bioadbcnt's observations are: — " /'i//ii miirklnti (Macklot's 

 Pitta), the most handsome of the genus, is rather scarce. I noted it at 

 Herbert Gorge in a hill scrub. It is plentiful at ('ape York in summer, 

 and I have procured specimens from the Goldie River, British New 

 Guinea. It occurs on adjaeent i,slands between these latter places, and 

 is of interest as being one of the numerous links conned ing the 

 North Queensland and Pa|nian faunas. The call of the M.icklot's 

 Pitta is rather mournftil, somewhat resembling that of a Pigeon. The 

 bird is of retiring and solitary habits Its main food — and indeed that 

 of .il! the Pittas — consisto of comiiion ^ii.iiis ( llrUriilir ) ami of wonns. 



