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PITTA. 415 
Celestino) ; Mindoro (Steere Hap., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros 
(Keay); Palawan (Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Bourns & Worcester); Rom- 
blon (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor) ; Samar (Steere Hap.) ; Sibutu (Hverett) ; 
Sibuyan (Bourns € Worcester, McGregor) ; Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester) ; Sulu 
(Platen); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi ,Tawi (Bourns & Worcester) ; 
Ticao (McGregor). 
Adult (sexes similar).—Head, sides of head, and neck reddish brown, 
most intense on occiput; on each side of head a blackish brown band 
from nostril to above eye; a blue collar, followed by a dull green patch 
on mantle; back, rump, tail, and most of the wing blue; chin brown, 
merging into black on fore breast, followed by a wide dull green pectoral 
band which is more or less mixed with blue in its middle; rest of under 
parts bright scarlet; longest under tail-coverts tipped with blue; pri- 
maries black with blue tips, the third and fourth each with a white spot 
half way between tip and base; wing-coverts blue, a few of the outer 
lesser series with large white spots; tail blue above, black below. Length, 
160 to 180. A male from Romblon measures: Wing, 97; tail, 35; cul- 
men from base, 21; tarsus, 35. A female from Bohol, wing, 97; tail, 
36; culmen from base, 21; tarsus, 36. 
Young.—The young bird is very different from the adult, particularly 
in the coloring of tha lower parts which are light earthy brown with 
very little red on the abdomen; upper parts dull brown; as the bird 
becomes older the adult plumage gradually makes its appearance; a 
great number of specimens would be necessary to show all the changes 
from young to adult. 
“The red-breasted pitta is common throughout the islands; it is 
found on the ground, usually in dark places in the forest and in second 
growth. Ten males from Mindanao average: Length, 170; wing, 98; 
tail, 37; culmen, 22; tarsus, 34; middle toe with claw, 29. Six females 
from the same place, length, 162; wing, 98; tail, 37; culmen, 22; tarsus, 
34; middle toe with claw, 29. Iris dark brown; legs, feet, and nails 
dark brown; bill black.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 
“Nearly mature males of this red-bellied pitta were collected near 
Cape Engafio. Mr. Whitehead is of the opinion, Ibis (1893), 505, that 
Pitta propinqua Sharpe, is not specifically distinct from the present 
species. The type of P. propinqua came from the Island of Balabac, and 
since Mr. Whitehead examined the British Museum series we have ob- 
tained, through Mr. Everett, an adult male from the typical locality. 
This bird agrees perfectly with Dr. Sharpe’s original description, Trans. 
Linn. Soe. (1877), 1, 330, and differs much from the typical examples 
of P. erythrogastra. It must, however, be stated, that both forms were 
found by Mr. Whitehead in the Island of Palawan, one of his specimens 
being almost typical P. propinqua, and, given a larger series, we should 
probably find that the two forms pass more or less one into the other 
