1875.] THE PHILIPPINE AECHIPELAGO. 353 



Buffon (Montbeillard) of his "Breve des PJdJippines" was taken from a specimen of the "Breve 

 de Ceylan" {—Corviis braeh//uru.% Linn.), in which the head of the common Blackbird had been 

 substituted. This example, Le Vaillant says, formed part of the Abbe Aubrey's cabinet ; and 

 adds that he purchased it when that collection was sold, and at once discovered the imposition. 

 This story Cuvier (K. A. 1817, p. 356, note 2) repeated on Le Vaillant's authority. Vieillot 

 (Nouv. Diet. p. 358, and Tabl. Method. Orn. p. 686) did the same without mentioning his 

 authority. It remained uncontradicted until Wagler {l. c.) showed that Le Vaillant was in error. 

 And Cuvier in the second edition of the ' Ilegne Animal ' (p. 373, note) also corrected Le Vaillant. 

 The statement that Montbeillard described from the specimen in Aubrey's cabinet may be 

 accepted ; for it is supported by the collateral evidence of Montbeillard (I. c), who, in a footnote, 

 remarks that it is the same bird that Brisson made his 57th " Grive." As no species of Melano- 

 pitta is known to exist in the Moluccas, we are justified in assuming that Brisson and Mont- 

 beillard described from the same, a Philippine example, and in regarding their descriptions as 

 having formed the common basis of all subsequent synonyms applied to this Philippine form of 

 Pitta f. 



Six species of black-headed green-bodied PittcB are fully established as meriting specific 

 distinction : — 



1. P. novce-guinece, Miiller & Schlegel. New Guinea and the Aru Islands, and most 



of the Papuan Islands. 



2. P. sanghirana, Schlegel. Sanghir Islands. 



3. P. rosenhergii, Schlegel. Soek Island in the Bay of Geelvink. 



4. P. forsteni, Bp. Celebes. Tr. Z. S. 



5. P. muellcri, Bp. Borneo. 



6. P. sordida (L. S. Miiller). Philippines. 



The first three species are representative forms of a Papuan type ; the remaining three of 

 an Indo-Malayan. 



Dr. Cabanis (Mus. Hein. ii. p. 4, no. 10) identifies an example of Ilelanojiitta in the 

 Halberstadt collection, and said to be from Timor, as Turdus brevicaudus, Bodd. This is 

 seemingly an error, P. irena being the only known Timorese species. 



Sumatra is brought within the range of the Philippine Melanopitta by Mr. Elliot {I. c.) ; 

 but no authority is quoted. 



The examples obtained by Dr. Meyer {6 ? ) in no way differ. 



IX. 



96. Megalukus palustris. 



CEATEEOPODID.^. 



Megalurus, Horsfield. 



Megalurus palustris, Horsf. Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 159, "Java" (1820) ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. 

 1844, p. 372 ; Ibis, 1865, p. 30 ; op. cit. 1867, p. 6. 



t The title of Pitta pUlippensis, VicilL, is quoted by some authors ; but I cannot find that Vieillot ever applied a 

 Latin title to the species, his opinion being that Montbeillard's type was fictitious. 



