298 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vouxxv. 



with metallic o-reen, tho three outer pairs with white tip.s, the outermost 

 with white e-xtending- along- outer wel) for a])Out 14 nun. ; the next two 

 pairs very narrowly tipped (about 1 nmi. only). Forehead, fore part 

 of crown and throat, metallic purple, boixlered on sides (including 

 cheeks) and chest with metallic blue; just below the blue of chest, lat- 

 erally, are a few burnt umber feathers. Breast, abdomen, sides of 

 bod}", and under tail-coverts, lemon yellow; flanks, pale olive green; 

 thighs, dusky brown, yellowish on inner aspect; axillars, cadmium 

 yellow; longest under wing-coverts, white; lesser feathers, pale ja^low; 

 feathers of outer edge of under win^-coverts dusk}", with yellowish 

 tips. Length (fresh), 11-i mm.; wing, 51; tail, 33; tarsus, 15; cul- 

 men, 18.5 (bill, from gape, 23). Other males have a wing- measure- 

 ment of 52 to 53 mm., and a total length of 108 to 117.5 mm. 



This species ditlers trora A. pectorali^ m being slightly larger; there 

 is less white on the outer tail feathers, and the. lower part of the throat 

 and chest is metallic blue instead of purple. The upper surface is 

 somewhat darker than in A. iJectorali><. "Common on all the islands 

 visited. Breeding in February and March; we found the nests on 

 Katchal, Great and Little Nicobar, generally in mangroves overhanging 

 the creeks.'" 



Seventeen specimens from the following islands: Car Mcobar, 

 Trinkut. Tillanchong, Great and Little Nicobar. 



ARACHNECHTHRA ANDAMANICA Hume. 



Amchnrfhihra andamanica Hume, Stray Feathers, I, 1878, p. 404 (Andamans). 

 "Common at South Andaman and Cinque." 



Eight specimens from the above islands. Length of males (six 

 individuals) in the flesh, 114 to 118 mm. 



Family PITTID.E. 



PITTA ABBOTTI, new species. 



7]/7>6'.— Adult male, No. 1T8506, U.S.N.M. ; Great Nicobar, March 30, 

 lUOl; Dr. W. L. Abbott. Closely related to P. ciicullata,^ but darker 

 above and below, with lighter blue upper tail- and wing-coverts; a 

 dark median line on crown; white patch on primaries much smaller 

 and confined to six feathers instead of seven, P. ahhotfi is also smaller. 

 Length, 184 mm.; wing, 110; tail, 39; tarsus, 39.5; culmen, 22 (bill, 

 from gape 27). Other males have a wing measurement of from 103 

 to 105 mm. 



"Iris dark brown; bill black, gape pale orange; feet pale brownish 

 fleshy." Hume^ saw several Pittas on Great Nicobar, which he 



^ For permission to examine two Malacca specimens of P. cucuUatn. in the Elliot 

 collection I am indebted to the authorities of the American Museum of Natural 

 History. 



■■'Stray Feathers, II, 1874, p. 220. 



