E———E———EeEE ee 
_ 
PITTA. 419 
cester) ; Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Meyer); Palawan (Steere, 
Lempriere, Whitehead, Platen, Steere Hxp., Bourns & Worcester, White) ; Rom- 
blon (McGregor); Samar (Whitehead); Semirara (Worcester); Sibuyan (Mc- 
Gregor) ; Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns &€ Worcester, Celestino) ; Sulu (Platen) ; 
Tablas (Bourns & Worcester) ; Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). 
Adult (sexes similar).—UEntire head, neck, chin, and throat velvety 
black; back and greater part of the wings green, changing with the 
light; rump and tail-coverts shining silvery blue; tail black, tipped with 
green; breast and sides bluish green; a large black patch on middle of 
abdomen; lower abdomen and under tail-coverts bright red; primaries 
white with black bases, the four or five outer ones with narrow black 
tips; secondaries black, tipped with green on upper surface; primary- 
coverts and alula velvety black; lesser and median coverts shining sil- 
very blue. Iris brown; bill black; legs and nails dirty brown. Length, 
about 180. A male from Romblon, wing, 110; tail, 35; culmen from 
base, 25; tarsus, 40. A female from Tablas, wing, 102; tail, 34; culmen 
from base, 26; tarsus, 37. 
The amount of white on the outer primaries varies to a great extent; 
in females it is usually much less than in males. 
“The black-headed pitta is called ‘wow-ha’ by the natives from its 
note. Iris dark brown; legs, feet, and nails very dark brown; bill 
black. Twelve males average: Length, 169; wing, 103; tail, 39; culmen, 
25; tarsus, 36; middle toe with claw, 32. Three females, length, 167; 
wing, 100; tail, 837; culmen, 25; tarsus, 36; middle toe with claw, 32.” 
(Bourns and Worcester MS.) 
Whitehead secured a nest of the black-headed pitta near Paranas, 
Samar, on June 30, 1896. The egg is thus described: 
“Shape rounded ovate. Ground-color pure white, thickly speckled 
all over with brown and larger underlying spots of french-gray, the 
latter being most numerous round the larger pole. Measurements 26 
mm. by 21 mm. 
“The nest with two slightly incubated eggs (one of which was broken) 
were brought by a native, together with the parent birds. The some- 
what bulky nest was composed outwardly of twigs and lined with moss.” 
(Grant and Whitehead.) 
383. PITTA MULLERI (Bonaparte). 
GREATER BLACK-HEADED PITTA, 
Brachyurus mulleri BONAPARTE, Consp. Genera Avium (1850), 1, 256. 
Pitta muelleri Sctater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1888), 14, 439. 
Pitta miilleri SHarprE, Hand-List (1901), 3, 183; Oarres and ReErp, Cat. 
Birds’ Eggs (1903), 3, 228, pl. 6, fig. 18 (egg) ; McGrecor and Wosr- 
cesTER, Hand-List (1906), 68. 
Sibutu (Everett). Borneo, Sumatra, Banka. 
* “Similar to P. atricapilla, but of rather larger dimensions.” (Sclater.) 
