﻿Species 
  of 
  the 
  Famihj 
  Pittidfe. 
  497 
  

  

  8. 
  Pitta 
  irena. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  irena 
  et 
  P. 
  crassirostris, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  427. 
  

  

  Similar 
  to 
  P. 
  concinna, 
  but 
  differs 
  in 
  having 
  the 
  tail 
  black 
  

   and 
  tipped 
  with 
  green, 
  whereas 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  species 
  the 
  

   whole 
  of 
  the 
  feathers 
  are 
  decidedly 
  greenish 
  ; 
  the 
  super- 
  

   ciliary 
  stripe 
  is 
  uniformly 
  narrow, 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  pale 
  sandy 
  

   yellow 
  changing 
  into 
  pale 
  blue 
  on 
  the 
  nape. 
  The 
  black 
  is 
  

   confined 
  to 
  the 
  chin 
  and 
  does 
  not 
  stretch 
  down 
  the 
  throat 
  as 
  

   in 
  P. 
  concinna. 
  This 
  species 
  also 
  comes 
  near 
  to 
  P. 
  vigor&i, 
  

   but 
  has 
  a 
  black 
  chin 
  and 
  a 
  lighter 
  buff 
  under-surface. 
  

  

  In 
  my 
  opinion 
  P. 
  crassirostris 
  has 
  no 
  claim 
  to 
  specific 
  

   rank, 
  being 
  only 
  a 
  very 
  slightly 
  removed 
  subspecies. 
  The 
  

   only 
  diff"erences 
  are 
  its 
  slightly 
  larger 
  dimensions. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Wallace 
  no 
  doubt 
  founded 
  P. 
  crassirostris 
  on 
  a 
  com- 
  

   parison 
  of 
  it 
  with 
  Pitta 
  vigorsi 
  and 
  P. 
  concinna 
  ; 
  while, 
  if 
  he 
  

   had 
  compared 
  it 
  with 
  Pitta 
  irena, 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  whether 
  he 
  

   would 
  have 
  distinguished 
  it. 
  

  

  9. 
  Pitta 
  strepitans. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  strepitans, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  428. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Sclater 
  rightly 
  regards 
  Pitta 
  simillima 
  as 
  only 
  sub- 
  

   specifically 
  distinct 
  from 
  Pitta 
  strepitans, 
  the 
  differences 
  

   between 
  the 
  two 
  races 
  being 
  merely 
  of 
  size. 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  in 
  the 
  second 
  plumage 
  have 
  little 
  signs 
  of 
  the 
  

   black 
  median 
  patch, 
  no 
  feathers 
  being 
  entirely 
  free 
  from 
  

   scarlet 
  markings 
  ; 
  the 
  chin 
  is 
  also 
  less 
  black 
  ; 
  the 
  feathers 
  

   of 
  the 
  back, 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  hrachyura, 
  are 
  broadly 
  centred 
  with 
  

   black. 
  In 
  the 
  first 
  plumage 
  the 
  crown 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  dull 
  

   brown, 
  the 
  feathers 
  being 
  edged 
  with 
  black; 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  breast 
  of 
  a 
  dull 
  yellowish 
  brown, 
  lighter 
  on 
  the 
  flanks; 
  

   chin 
  whitish 
  grey, 
  slightly 
  yellow 
  on 
  the 
  throat 
  ; 
  lower 
  belly 
  

   pale 
  pink, 
  without 
  a 
  black 
  patch 
  ; 
  the 
  upper 
  parts 
  dull 
  green. 
  

  

  b. 
  Group 
  of 
  P. 
  cucullata. 
  

  

  This 
  group 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  twelve 
  species, 
  the 
  first 
  six 
  of 
  

   which 
  are 
  closely 
  allied. 
  The 
  next 
  three 
  (Nos. 
  7, 
  8,9) 
  , 
  forming 
  

   the 
  New 
  Guinea 
  division, 
  are 
  much 
  darker 
  in 
  general 
  colora- 
  

   tion. 
  No. 
  10, 
  the 
  darkest, 
  stands 
  alone. 
  The 
  last 
  two 
  species 
  

  

  SER. 
  VI. 
  ^ 
  — 
  VOL. 
  V. 
  2 
  N 
  

  

  