352 . ON THE BIEDS IXHABITIXG [1875, 



Mr. Sclater (/. c.) thus identified an example of a Philippine Thrush in Mr. Gould's 

 collection. 



Professor Newton (Hist. Brit. Birds, pt. iv. p. 254) mentions that Mr. Gould had received 

 an example of Turdiis varius, Pallas, from Manilla. ■ 



PITTID.E. 



Eetthkopitta, Bonaparte. 



94. * Ertthropitta ertthrogastra. 



Pitta erythwgastra, Temm. PI. Col. 212, "Philippines" (1823). 



JBraclryurus erythrocjastra (Temm.), Elliot, Monogr. Pittida?, pi. xvi. ; Ibis, 1870, p. 417, no. 17. 

 Apparently confined to the Philippines ; but the exact limits of its range within that 

 archipelago have yet to be ascertained. 



Melanopitta, Bonaparte. 



95. * Melanopitta sordida. 



Merula viriclis atricapiUa moluccensis, Brisson, Orn. ii. p. 319, no. 57, " Moluccas." 

 Merle des Philippines, D'Aubent. PI. Enl. 89. 



Breve des Philippines, Month. Hist. Nat. Ois. iii. p. 412, " Philippines." 

 Turdiis sordidus, L. S. Miiller, Suppl. p. 143, no. 51 (1776), ex D'Aubent. 

 Turdus hrevicawda, Bodd. Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 6 (1783), ex D'Aubent. 



Cormis philippensis (C. brachyurus, var. j3), Gm. S. N. i. p. 375, no. 15 (1788), ex Brisson. 

 Citta melanocephala, Wagler, Syst. Av. " Cormis," no. 14 (1827), ex Gm. ; nee Forster. 

 Pitta atricapiUa, Cuv., Lesson, Tr. p. 394, " ManiUe " (1831) ; Compl. Buffon, p. 501 (1840), 

 nee Miiller & Schlegel. 



Pitta macrorliyncha, J. E. Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 3, "Philippine Islands" (1831). 

 Pitta atricapiUa, Temm. PI. Col. Tabl. Method, p. 16 (1832), ex D'Aubent. 

 Tr. Z. s. ix. ? Pitta leucopUra, Elliot, Pioc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1861, p. 153, " Ceylon," av. juv. "? 



Brachyiirus atricapillus, Elliot, Monogr. Pittidce, pi. xxv. 

 PracJiyurus sordidus (L. S. Miiller), Elliot, Ibis, 1870, p. 419, in pt. 



Ilab. Luzon, Negros ; iris brown (Meyer). 



The synonymy of this species is somewhat perplexing, in consequence of Brisson (/. c.) 

 haAdng given a description, applying in all its details to the Philippine bird, to an indi^ddual said 

 by him to have been sent to I'Abbe Aubrey from the Moluccas. Montbeillard (/. c.) some years 

 later described seemingly the same bird (and it was figured by D'Aubenton I. c), but attributed 

 its origin to the Philippines. The difficulty thus caused would probably have remained througli 

 all time unsolved had not Le Vaillant, by one of his gratuitous and carping criticisms, uninten- 

 tionally assisted us. With the view of showing that Bufibn was in the habit of describing as 

 good species individuals that had been manufactured by dishonest dealers, Le Vaillant (Ois. de 

 Par. vol. i. p. 106) incidentally alludes to this species. He asserts that the description given by 



