VOL. XXIII, pp. 65-66 APRIL 19, 1910 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW BIRD FROM THE ISLAND OF CERAM, 

 MOLUCCAS. 



s^ 



BY F. MUIR AND J. C. KERSHAYV. 



" t 



While cqllectlng in the Dutch East Indies a new Pitta was 

 captured which may be known as 



Pitta piroensis sp. nov. 



Type. An adult male from Pi roe, Ceram, Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology, Cat. No. 49,997, collected by the authors, March 2, 1909. 



Description. Forehead and upper part of head and neck dark red- 

 brown, the crown divided by an obscure median bluish stripe: a large 

 sub-quadrangular scarlet nuchal patch. Throat dark brown, shading into 

 black on upper part of breast. Ear coverts and lower part of breast 

 silvery blue-gray. Back and scapulars dark olive green. Tail and upper 

 tail coverts grayish -blue. Bend of wing nearly black, feathers lighter 

 round edge; lesser coverts blue-gray, the feathers dark &rown at base; 

 greater coverts very dark brown, edged and tipped with dark blue-gray. 

 Primaries nearly black, the 2d, :>d, 4th and 5th with a white speculum 

 marking, but only the 4th and oth have the white on the upper side of the 

 outer web. Under wing-coverts dark bluish gray. Belly, vent and under 

 tail-coverts scarlet. Eyes brown; bill black; legs and feet pale lead 

 color; claws brownish; soles of feet ochreous. Total length, 6% in. ; 

 wing, 3% in. ; tail, 1% in. ; bill (to gape), 1 in. ; tarsu-j, \% in. 



This species differs from P. rubrinucha Wallace, in its slightly smaller 

 si/e, its silvery blue-gray ear-coverts, in the absence of the black line 

 separating the silvery blue-gray of the breast from the scarlet belly, in 

 the absence of a white shoulder spot, and in the different marking of tin- 

 white speculum spot on the primaries. 



11 I'nor. HUH.. SOC. WASH.. Vol.. XXIII, 1910. 



