60 Recent Literature. J T " 



LJan. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Elliot's Monograph of the Pittidae. — The fifth and concluding part 

 of this beautiful monograph 1 is dated January, 1895, its publication thus 

 covering a period of nearly two years. The present part contains nearly 

 forty pages of introductory matter, and eleven plates, with their appro- 

 priate text. The species here figured are the following : Pitta strepitans, 

 P. mackloti, P. vigorsi, P. palliceps, P. nympha, P. cyanonota, P. areas, 

 P. forsteni, P. propinqua, P. soror, and P. inspeculata. Several of these 

 have not been previously figured. 



The species recognized in the present monograph number 48 — an 

 increase of 18, or more than 50 per cent., over the number known in 1863, 

 and included in the author's first monograph of the group. These 48 

 species are distributed in 3 genera (Anthocincla, Pitta, and EucicAla) and 

 17 subgenera, of which 42 species and 15 of the subgenera are placed 

 under Pitta. Mr. Elliot differs from most previous writers in adopting 

 for some of the species names not generally current, their adoption being 

 rendered necessary by due observance of the law of priority. No new 

 species are described, nor are any new specific names given, but we note 

 the introduction of the following new subgenera: (1) Monilipitta, type 

 and only species, Pitta arcuata ; (2) Galeripitta, type and only species, 

 P. cucullata ; (3) Pulchripitta, type and only species, P. iris; (4) Ornati- 

 pitta, including Euciclila guaiana, E. boschi, and E. schzvaneri ; (5) Insig- 

 nipitta, including E. ellioti and E. gurneyi. 



The Introduction gives (1) an elaborate 'Review of the Literature ' of 

 the subject (pp. v-xiii) ; (2) a history of the Genera (pp. xiii-xv) ; (3) ' Key 

 to the Genera and Species' (pp. xv-xviii) ; (4) 'Classification' (pp. xviii- 

 xx) ; (5) 'Geographical Distribution' (pp. xxi-xxvii). Mr. Elliot con- 

 siders that the species of Pittas known to us to-day " are probably but the 

 survivors of what was once a great and brilliantly plumaged group, 

 inhabiting a vast extent of territory. The majority of the species," he 

 believes, " have long since become extinct, and those remaining represent 

 the few which have, through what may be termed fortuitous occurrences, 

 been able to keep themselves above water, when the greater portion of 

 their habitats disappeared beneath the waves." On no other supposition 

 does he deem it possible to account for the isolated distribution of certain 

 members of the group, as Pitta angolensis on the west coast of Africa, and 



1 A I Monograph of the Pittidas, | or | Family of Ant-Thrushes. | By | 

 Daniel Giraud Elliot, | ... [12 lines of titles, etc.] | — | London : | Bernard 

 Quarich, 15 Piccadilly, W. | 1893-1895. Folio, pp. i-xxvii + (letterpress, un- 

 paged), col. pll. i-li. 



For notices of previous parts, see Auk, XI, pp. 62, 173, 243. and XII, 

 p. 65. 



