100 Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Genus Pitta. 



mandible, which has besides a dark line down the margin. The 

 eyelids and cere (or what answers to the latter) are flesh-colour ; 

 the iris of a rich dark brown, the centre of the eye being black. 

 The legs and feet are of a deep flesh-colour, the claws almost 

 white ; and the tarsi have a few scales in front, the rest being 

 bare, with a smooth skin. 



The bird is quite a young specimen, and still has a patch of 

 light-brown feathers on the side of the head and throat, through 

 which can be discerned a few feathers of the new plumage *. 



VII. — Remarks on the Habits, Distribution, and Affinities of the 

 Genus Pitta. By Alfred R. Wallace. 



The beautiful birds which are now generally included in the 

 single genus Pitta have lately been monographed by iMr. Elliot, 

 and have also been the subject of an article by Prof. Schlegel in 

 the 'Museum d'Histoire Naturelle des Pays-Bas,' as well as of a 

 monograph forming the first part of a work entitled ' Les Oiseaux 

 des Indes Neerlandaises/ while the first volume of Mr. Jerdon's 

 'Birds of India' gives an accurate account of the species inhabit- 

 ing that country. The tiuie therefore seems appropriate for 

 generalizing the information contained in these works as to the 

 geographical range of the several species, and for giving a few 

 observations on the habits of those which I myself met with in 

 the Malay Archi])elago. 



The Pittas, or Ground-Thrushes, are a group of insectivorous 

 birds which inhabit the forests of the Eastern tropics, and are 

 generally adorned with brilliant and strongly contrasted colours. 

 The rich blues and crimsons, the delicate greens, yellows, and 

 purples, the velvety black and pure white (three of which tints at 

 least generally adorn each species) remind one of the Tanagers 

 of South America ; and, in fact, these two groups are almost the 

 only ones which have no one characteristic tint or style of dress, 



* Dr. Bennett's latest letters to the Secretary of the Zoological Society 

 (read at the Meeting on the 10th November last) announce the arrival in 

 Sydney of a second living specimen of the Didunculus ; and that, with his 

 usual liberality, he had purchased the pair for the Society, and was intend- 

 ing to send them to England by the first convenient opportunity — Ed. 



