380 FITTID/E. 



938. Pitta brachyura, (Linn.), Royle, in. Bot. Him. pi. 7, fig. 3; 



Jerd., Madras Journ. x. p. 25 ; Kelaart, Prod. Faun. Zeyl. p. 122 ; Legge, 

 Ibis, 1874, p. 18; Ball, Str. F. vii. p. 213; Sclatcr, Cat. B, Br. M. xiv. 

 p. 423. Corvus brachyurus, Linn., Syst. Nat. i. p. 158. Pitta bengalensis, 

 Vieill., Enc. Meth. p. 685 ; Jcrd., B. Ind. i. p. 503. Pitta coronata, Hume, 

 Nests and Eggs, Ind. B. p. 224 ; Ball, Str. F. ii. p. 406; id., v. p. 416; 

 Butler and Hume, Str. F. iii. p. 470; Fairbank, Str. F. iv. p. 257 ; Legge, 

 B. Ceylon, p. 687. .The INDIAN PITTA or GROUND THRUSH. 



Upper surface of the body green ; vertical stripe on top of the head black, 

 bordered on each side with pale yellowish or buffy brown ; supercilium buffy 

 white ; lores and cheeks black, also the wings, which have a broad white basal 

 band and white tips to the feathers ; rump, lesser wing coverts and upper tail 

 coverts bright light blue ; back, scapulars and greater wing coverts green ; 

 under surface of the body fawn colour, the throat white, but the middle of 

 the abdomen and under tail coverts scarlet ; under wing coverts black with a 

 broad white patch. Bill black ; culmen paler ; feet yellowish. 



Length. *] inches ; tail 1*5 ; wing 4. 



flab. Indian Peninsula, Assam, Arracan, Tenasserim and Ceylon. Recorded 

 localities in India are Simla, Bareilly, Behar, Assam, Kattywar, Sikkim, 

 Mysore, Travancore, Coorg, Raipur, Mallegaum, Ahmednuggur, Khandalla, 

 Belgaum, Calicut, Ootacamund, Madras, Malabar, the Godavery Valley and 

 Mount Aboo. This species breeds wherever it is found from May to August. 

 The nest is a globular structure with an aperture on one side, composed of 

 dry leaves, twigs, and roots. The eggs are irregular ovals, glossy, china-white, 

 speckled and spotted with maroon, dark purple and brownish purple. In size 

 they vary from 0-96 to 1-07 inch in length and by O'8i to 0-9 inch in breadth. 



939. Pitta COCCinea, Eyton, P. Z. S. 1839, P- 104; Blyth, J. A. 

 S. B. xii. p. 961 ; Hume and Dav., Str. F. vi. p. 51 1 ; Hume, Str. F. viii. 

 p. 94 ; Sclater, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xiv. p. 43 1 ; Gould, B. Asia, pi. 68. Pitta 

 granatina, Moore, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 274; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1887, p. 432. 

 Eucichla coccinea (Eyton), Oates, B. Br. Burm. i. p. 417. The MALAYAN 

 SCARLET PITTA. 



Upper surface of the body purplish blue, more brilliant on the back ,' back of 

 crown and nape scarlet ; forehead black for about a quarter of an inch ; sides 

 of the head black ; supercilum pale blue ; wings brownish black, their coverts 

 and secondaries edged with purplish blue ; throat dark purplish brown ; 

 abdomen dull scarlet ; tail dull black, edged with purplish. Bill black ; feet 

 brown. 



Length. 6 to 7 inches ; tail 1*5 ; wing 3*5 ; tarsus 1*5 ; bill from gape PO5. 



Hob. Tenasserim and the Malay Peninsula. Mr. Davison obtained it at the 

 foot of Nwalabo mountain. 



