412 TITTID^!. 



" Clamatores " or " Volucres," the question was not finally decided 

 until 1873, when our excellent anatomist Garrod obtained speci- 

 mens for dissection, which proved decisively that Pitta does not 

 belong to the Oscines *. 



In 1876 Garrod obtained further specimens of Pitta, and de- 

 scribed and figured the formation of the trachea in detail t, and thus 

 finally closed the controversy, showing that Pitta is what he terms 

 " Mesomyodian," although it has a typical Oscinine tarsus. 



The Pittidce are essentially a group of the Oriental Region, 

 numbering some 45 species. A single Pitta has intruded itself 

 into the centre of the ^Ethiopian Region, and several species occur 

 in the Australian Region, and extend the area of the group over New 

 Guinea to New Britain and Eastern Australia. An excellent article 

 on their distribution has been written by Mr. Wallace +. 



The Pittas were monographed by Mr. Elliot in 1853, and the 

 greater number of them have been figured by Gould in his ' Birds of 

 Asia ' and ' Birds of New Guinea.' Gould also commenced a Mono- 

 graph of this brilliant group, of which, however, only one part had 

 been issued at the time of his decease §. 



The Pittas build open nests, and lay spotted eggs. Some of these 

 have been figured by Miiller and Schlegel (Verhandl. Zool. Pitta, 

 tab. iii.) ; others have been described by Sharpe (P. Z. S. 1879, 

 p. 346), and Oates (B. Brit. Burm. vol. i. pp. 411-421). 



Key to the Genera. 



A. Frontal plumes recumbent ; tail shorter. 



a. Bill longer, more compressed 1. Anthocincla, p. 412. 



b. Bill shorter, less compressed. 



a'. Tail shorter, more or less squared . . 2. Pitta, p. 413. 

 V. Tail longer, pointed 3. Eucichla, p. 445. 



B. Frontal plumes short, erect ; tail longer . . 4. Coracopitta, p. 449. 



1. ANTHOCINCLA. 



Type. 

 Anthocincla, Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xxxi. p. 343 (1862) A. phayrii. 



The single species which constitutes this type may, I think, be 

 reasonably kept apart from Pitta on account of its longer and more 

 compressed bill, lengthened neck-feathers, shorter tarsi, and short 

 rounded wings. It seems to be peculiar to the Burmese provinces. 

 The sexes are nearly, but not quite, alike. 



* See P. Z. S. 1873, p. 463. 



t See P. Z. S. 1876, pp. 512-514. 



\ Ibis, 1864, p. 100. 



§ Monograph of the Piftida?, Part I., London, 1880. 



