﻿Species 
  of 
  the 
  Family 
  Pittidae. 
  499 
  

  

  underparts 
  covering 
  less 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  space 
  when 
  com- 
  

   pared 
  with 
  that 
  species. 
  The 
  metallic 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  shoulder- 
  

   patch 
  and 
  rump-baud 
  is 
  also 
  deeper 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  silvery 
  blue. 
  

  

  Gould, 
  in 
  the 
  ^Birds 
  of 
  Asia^ 
  (vol. 
  v. 
  pi. 
  76), 
  has 
  undoubtedly 
  

   figured 
  P. 
  muelleri 
  under 
  the 
  impression 
  that 
  he 
  was 
  figuring 
  

   P. 
  atricapilla. 
  

  

  4. 
  Pitta 
  muelleri. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  muelleri^ 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  439. 
  

  

  Similar 
  to 
  P. 
  atricapilla, 
  but 
  centre 
  of 
  abdomen 
  and 
  

   crissum 
  bright 
  scarlet 
  ; 
  shoulder-patch 
  and 
  broad 
  rump-band 
  

   very 
  bright 
  shining 
  greenish 
  blue; 
  tail 
  black, 
  sometimes 
  

   tipped 
  with 
  blue-green. 
  

  

  Young. 
  Similar 
  to 
  the 
  young 
  of 
  P. 
  atricapilla, 
  but 
  head 
  

   less 
  rusty 
  in 
  colour, 
  being, 
  like 
  the 
  chin, 
  decidedly 
  blacker. 
  

  

  Perhaps 
  P. 
  muelleri 
  should 
  be 
  placed 
  next 
  to 
  P. 
  bangkana 
  

   on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  black 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  

   belly. 
  

  

  5. 
  Pitta 
  sanghirana. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  sanghirana, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  440. 
  

  

  The 
  larger 
  black 
  median 
  patch 
  allies 
  this 
  species 
  to 
  

   P. 
  atricapilla. 
  

  

  6. 
  Pitta 
  forsteni. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  forsteni, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  442. 
  

  

  Larger 
  than 
  P. 
  atricapilla 
  and 
  P. 
  sanghirana, 
  and 
  having 
  

   a 
  green 
  tail, 
  uniform 
  black 
  remiges, 
  and 
  the 
  rump-band 
  

   and 
  shoulder-patch 
  smaller 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  five 
  species 
  of 
  

   this 
  sub-group. 
  

  

  It 
  would 
  be 
  interesting 
  to 
  know 
  whether 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  

   plumage 
  the 
  young 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  have 
  any 
  white 
  on 
  the 
  

   remiges. 
  

  

  7. 
  Pitta 
  NOViE-ouiNEjE. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  nov(B-guine<E 
  , 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  440. 
  

  

  The 
  variations 
  of 
  colour 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  are 
  most 
  interesting. 
  

   This 
  Pitta 
  is 
  apparently 
  gradually 
  abandoning 
  the 
  ornamental 
  

   metallic 
  rump-band. 
  Some 
  specimens 
  now 
  before 
  me 
  are 
  

   already 
  quite 
  free 
  from 
  this 
  mark, 
  and 
  in 
  all 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  dull 
  

  

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