﻿49 
  i 
  Mr. 
  John 
  Wliiteliead 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  2. 
  HVDRORNIS 
  SOROR. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  soror, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  415. 
  

  

  There 
  seems 
  some 
  doubt 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  locality 
  of 
  the 
  single 
  

   specimen 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  and 
  as 
  to 
  whether 
  it 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  

   merely 
  a 
  slightly 
  abnormal 
  specimen 
  of 
  H. 
  nipalensis 
  ; 
  but 
  

   imtil 
  further 
  examples 
  are 
  received 
  I 
  am 
  unable 
  to 
  express 
  

   an 
  opinion 
  on 
  it. 
  

  

  3. 
  Hydrornis 
  oatesi. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  oatesi, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  416. 
  

  

  Genus 
  II. 
  Gigantipitta. 
  

  

  GiGANTIPITTA 
  CiERULEA. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  ccerulea, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  416. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  forms 
  a 
  connecting-link 
  between 
  the 
  first 
  

   section 
  (^Hydrornis) 
  and 
  the 
  second 
  (true 
  Pitta), 
  and 
  for 
  that 
  

   reason 
  I 
  have 
  adopted 
  a 
  generic 
  title 
  for 
  it, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  distinguish 
  

   it 
  from 
  both 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  genus. 
  

  

  Genus 
  III. 
  Pitta. 
  

   a. 
  Group 
  of 
  P. 
  cyanoptera. 
  

   A 
  compact 
  group 
  composed 
  of 
  nine 
  species. 
  The 
  general 
  

   colours 
  are 
  : 
  chin 
  and 
  throat 
  white 
  or 
  black 
  or 
  of 
  both 
  colours, 
  

   breast 
  buff 
  or 
  greenish 
  yellow, 
  median 
  patch 
  dark 
  or 
  light 
  

   crimson 
  only 
  or 
  crimson 
  and 
  black 
  ; 
  head 
  brown 
  and 
  black, 
  

   with 
  superciliary 
  stripe 
  of 
  yellow, 
  at 
  times 
  with 
  a 
  bluish 
  

   tinge 
  ; 
  shoulder-patch 
  large 
  or 
  small, 
  green 
  ; 
  rump-band 
  

   broad 
  or 
  narrow^, 
  of 
  deep 
  glassy 
  blue 
  or 
  light 
  silvery 
  green. 
  

   P. 
  angolensis 
  is 
  slightly 
  exceptional 
  in 
  its 
  general 
  distribution 
  

   of 
  markings. 
  The 
  sexes 
  are 
  similar. 
  

  

  1. 
  Pitta 
  cyanoptera. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  cyanoptera, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  420. 
  

  

  Iris 
  and 
  bill 
  greyish 
  black 
  ; 
  legs 
  pale 
  yellowish 
  pink. 
  

  

  2. 
  Pitta 
  megarhyncha. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  mefjarhyncha, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  421. 
  

  

  Similar 
  to 
  P. 
  cyanoptera 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  crown 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  more 
  

   dusky 
  brown, 
  the 
  central 
  black 
  stripe 
  almost 
  absent 
  ; 
  back, 
  

   scapulars, 
  and 
  inner 
  secondaries 
  of 
  a 
  brownish 
  green, 
  very 
  

   different 
  from 
  the 
  clear 
  glassy 
  green 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  parts 
  of 
  

   P. 
  cyanoptera. 
  Bill 
  considerably 
  larger. 
  

  

  