26 i



garden, whose crow infuriated the Piper to the last degree. The

single scream of the Pitta was like this, but milder; and in each

case the scream seemed to be tinged with a ring of impotent

rage, generally, with the Pitta, when the rival was in another

room. The war-cry of the Pitta was the blood-thirsty war-whoop

of Fennimore Cooper’s Indian brave, as he hurled himself upon

the sighted pale-face in the hopes of raising his scalp. I

have seen the weaker Pitta cower with terror at the sound of the

dreaded note.


It is usual to refer to birds of the vindictive nature of the

Pitta as being pugnacious. I consider the word to be unsuitable.

Pittas, like many other species, do very little indeed in the way

of actual fighting : — one just runs away, and another just runs

after it — at least that is my experience ; I do not call that fight¬

ing. hike many other birds, when kept huddled together in a

confined space, beyond a little tilting, they do not very seriously

interfere with one another. Give them liberty, and a run for life

commences.


All writers seem to agree that the Pitta, in the wild state,

is a solitary bird ; and that such is the case is fully supported by

the behaviour of my anything but “ happy family.”


With a few notes on the plumage of the Pitta, I will bring

this paper to a close.


There is one serious blot in the Coloured Plate ; and it is

difficult to say exactly how it came about. On the wing-shoulder

(lesser wing-coverts) of my Pitta, as there was on the shoulders

of the other three, there is a patch—varying in size and shape

according to the movements of the bird—of the most brilliant

light azure blue, more brilliant than can be produced by art of

man. This spot was represented in the original painting. In

the proof (three-colour process), this spot was dull, and I was

told it could be improved ; but instead of being improved it has

practically been wiped off the face of the picture altogether,

shewing the inferiority of any mechanical process compared with

the work of that inimitable structure the human hand. Please

bear in mind, therefore, that, on the spot indicated, although not

often to be seen by strangers, there is a beautiful patch of

brilliant light blue, which in the sun sparkles like a gem.


Another point in the plumage I must refer to, as only a

trace of it can be found in the illustration, owing to the portrait

having been taken before the new feathers had fully developed

themselves, but which is now, as a rule, fully apparent in the

living bird.



