﻿Species 
  of 
  the 
  Family 
  Pittidfe. 
  495 
  

  

  8. 
  Pitta 
  nympha. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  nympha, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  4.25. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  berta, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  4.25. 
  

  

  The 
  specimen 
  of 
  P. 
  berta 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  ^[useum 
  answers 
  

   equally 
  o-ell 
  to 
  Swinhoe's 
  descriptions 
  of 
  Pitta 
  nympha 
  and 
  

   P. 
  berta. 
  Dr. 
  Sclater 
  is 
  unable 
  to 
  separate 
  P. 
  nympha 
  from 
  

   P. 
  oreas, 
  and 
  is 
  doubtful 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  validity 
  of 
  P. 
  bertce. 
  

   There 
  is 
  little 
  doubt 
  in 
  my 
  mind 
  that 
  P. 
  bertce 
  is 
  identical 
  

   with 
  P. 
  nympha, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  specimen 
  was 
  of 
  accidental 
  

   occurrence 
  in 
  Borneo. 
  

  

  The 
  pale 
  washed-out 
  colours 
  of 
  the 
  underparts 
  of 
  this 
  

   species^ 
  resembling 
  as 
  it 
  does 
  a 
  pale-coloured 
  Pitta 
  cyanoptera, 
  

   is 
  most 
  interesting, 
  and 
  is 
  probably 
  due 
  to 
  climatic 
  influences. 
  

   A 
  similar 
  differentiation 
  may 
  be 
  noticed 
  in 
  specimens 
  of 
  

   P. 
  brachyura, 
  but 
  that 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  far 
  enough 
  advanced 
  in 
  

   modification 
  to 
  be 
  separated 
  into 
  two. 
  Supposing, 
  howevei', 
  

   the 
  paler 
  specimens 
  were 
  by 
  some 
  geographical 
  change 
  to 
  be 
  

   isolated 
  from 
  the 
  darker 
  ones, 
  they 
  would 
  doubtless 
  soon 
  

   show 
  as 
  great 
  differences 
  as 
  those 
  now 
  exhibited 
  by 
  P. 
  cyano- 
  

   ptera 
  and 
  P. 
  nympha. 
  

  

  4. 
  Pitta 
  brachyura. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  brachyura, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  423. 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  have 
  the 
  superciliary 
  feathers 
  greyish 
  brown, 
  

   edged 
  with 
  black 
  ; 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  back 
  greyish 
  green, 
  

   the 
  lower 
  part 
  dull 
  green 
  ; 
  shoulder-patch 
  and 
  rump-band 
  

   smaller 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  and 
  dull 
  blue 
  ; 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  breast 
  greyish 
  yellow 
  ; 
  the 
  lower 
  belly 
  and 
  crissum 
  pale 
  

   piuk. 
  The 
  gi-een 
  and 
  blue 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  back 
  in 
  some 
  

   specimens 
  are 
  broadly 
  centred 
  with 
  black 
  ; 
  this 
  is 
  probably 
  

   the 
  second 
  plumage. 
  

  

  Specimens 
  from 
  the 
  district 
  of 
  Mount 
  Aboo 
  pTorth-west 
  

   India) 
  differ 
  from 
  their 
  more 
  eastern 
  representatives 
  in 
  

   being 
  greener 
  throughout 
  ; 
  the 
  superciliaries 
  have 
  a 
  distinct 
  

   greenish 
  tinge 
  j 
  the 
  breast 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  lighter 
  sandy 
  buff, 
  with 
  a 
  

   greenish 
  tinge 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  ; 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  a 
  lighter 
  greenish 
  

   bine, 
  the 
  ochreous 
  tinge 
  being 
  absent 
  ; 
  the 
  shoulder-patch 
  

   and 
  rump-band 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  lighter 
  silvery 
  green. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  more 
  western 
  portion 
  of 
  its 
  range 
  has 
  

  

  