Beautiful Birds. 167 



beautiful little violet and orange species (Ceyx rufidorsa) is 

 found in similar situations, and darts rapidly along like a 

 flame of fire. Here also I first met with the pretty Australian 

 bee-eater (Merops ornatus). This elegant little bird sits on 

 twigs in open places, gazing eagerly around, and darting off at 

 intervals to seize some insect which it sees flying neai-, return- 

 ing afterward to the same twig to swallow it. Its long, sharp, 

 curved bill, the two long naiTow feathers in its tail, its beauti- 

 ful green plumage varied with rich brown and black and vivid 

 blue on the throat, render it one of the most graceful and in- 

 teresting objects a naturalist can see for the first time. 



Of all the birds of Lombock, however, I sought most after 

 the beautiful ground-thrushes (Pitta concinna), and always 

 thought myself lucky if I obtained one. They were found 

 only in the dry plains densely covered with thickets, and car- 

 peted at this season with dead leaves. They were so shy that 

 it was very difficult to get a shot at them, and it was only aft- 

 er a good deal of practice that I discovered how to do it. The 

 habit of these birds is to hop about on the ground picking up 

 insects, and on the least alarm to run into the densest thicket 

 or take a flight close along the ground. At intervals they 

 utter a peculiar cry of two notes, which when once heard is 

 easily recognized, and they can also be heard hopping along 

 among the dry leaves. My practice was, therefore, to walk 

 cautiously along the narrow pathways with which the country 

 abounded, and, on detecting any sign of a Pitta's vicinity, to 

 stand motionless and give a gentle whistle occasionally, imita- 

 ting the notes as near as possible. After half an hour's wait- 

 ing, I was often rewarded by seeing the pretty bird hopping 

 along in the thicket. Then I would perhaps lose sight of it 

 again, till, having my gun raised and ready for a shot, a second 

 glimpse would enable me to secure my prize, and admire its soft 

 puffy plumage and lovely colors. The upper part is rich soft 

 green, the head jet black, with a stripe of blue and brown over 

 each eye ; at the base of the tail and on the shoulders are 

 bands of bright silvery blue, and the under side is delicate 

 buff, with a stripe of rich crimson, bordered with black on the 

 belly. Beautiful grass-green doves, little crimson and black 

 flower-peckers, large black cuckoos, metallic king-crows, golden 

 orioles, and the fine jungle-cocks — the origin of all our domes- 



