412 Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Pittidje. 



silvery. These differences, which do not appear to be con" 

 stant, but vary in all the birds of this section according to age, 

 are not sufficient to establish a species. Nor do I think that 

 the extent of white on the primaries is of specific value, as 

 I find that specimens from the same islands vary in this mark 

 very considerably ; and I am inclined to believe that the one 

 separated as P. mueUeri on account of the primaries being all 

 white, is only an adult of P. atricapilla. Specimens of so- 

 called P. sanyhirana which I have examined do not agree toge- 

 ther in the extent of white on the primaries; and if this mark 

 were of specific value, they should be separated ; but my ex- 

 amination of the specimens lately placed at my disposal together 

 with, through Mr. G. R. Gray's kindness, those contained in the 

 British-Museum collection, leads me to the conclusion that those 

 birds of this section with white on their primaries have but a 

 compnratively small extent of it when young, and that it in- 

 creases in successive moults as the bird grows older, until it 

 occupies almost the whole feather, the end only being tipped 

 with black, as we see in so-called P. muelleri, which, according 

 to iriy view, is only the adult form of P. atricapilla. 



Having now examined all the species, good and bad, which 

 have been described since my work was completed, I proceed to 

 give a synoptical list of the entire family, with some remarks 

 upon certain of its members, whose names I had placed among 

 the synonyms of other well-established species, but which are still 

 considered, by some authors, to be entitled to specific rank. 



Family PITTID.E. 



Subfamily Pittinae. 



Genus Brachyurus, Thunberg. 



§ Giguntipitta. 



1. Brachyurus cveruleus. 



Myiothera cceru/ea, Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xiii. p. 301. 

 Brachyurus cceruleus, Elliot, Mon. Pitt. pi. i. 

 Cseruleus ; genis corporeque subtus fulvescentibus ; occipite 

 subcristato ; pilis, vitta postoculari coUarique interrupto 

 nigris ; rostro nigro ; pedibus fuscis. 

 Hah. Sumatra. 



