﻿500 
  Mr. 
  John 
  Whitehead 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  and 
  narrow 
  when 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  band 
  in 
  the 
  section 
  of 
  

   this 
  genus 
  allied 
  to 
  P. 
  cucullata. 
  This 
  loss 
  of 
  ornamenta- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  being 
  compensated 
  for 
  by 
  a 
  bright 
  metallic 
  band 
  on 
  

   the 
  breast, 
  directly 
  beneath 
  the 
  black 
  throat. 
  

  

  8. 
  Pitta 
  mafoorana. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  mafoorana, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  441. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  never 
  had 
  an 
  opportunity 
  of 
  examining 
  specimens 
  

   of 
  this 
  species, 
  but 
  from 
  Gould's 
  figure 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  inter- 
  

   mediate 
  between 
  P. 
  nov(E-guine<B 
  and 
  P. 
  rosenbergi. 
  

  

  9. 
  Pitta 
  rosenbergi. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  rosenbergi, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  441. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  differs 
  from 
  P. 
  novce-guine<s 
  in 
  having 
  the 
  

   centre 
  of 
  the 
  belly 
  scarlet, 
  instead 
  of 
  black 
  and 
  scarlet, 
  in 
  

   the 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  metallic 
  necklace, 
  and 
  in 
  having 
  purple 
  

   instead 
  of 
  bluish-green 
  flanks. 
  

  

  The 
  rump-band 
  in 
  four 
  specimens 
  now 
  before 
  me 
  is 
  narrow, 
  

   but 
  clearly 
  defined 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  silvery 
  green. 
  

  

  The 
  purple 
  on 
  the 
  flanks 
  of 
  the 
  female 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  bright 
  as 
  

   in 
  the 
  males, 
  and 
  the 
  median 
  patch 
  in 
  one 
  specimen, 
  probably 
  

   a 
  young 
  female, 
  is 
  mixed 
  with 
  pale 
  pink 
  feathers. 
  

  

  10. 
  Pitta 
  iris. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  iris, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  444. 
  

  

  This 
  interesting 
  Pitta, 
  peculiar 
  to 
  tropical 
  North 
  Australia, 
  

   is 
  very 
  rare 
  in 
  collections 
  ; 
  unfortunately 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  unable 
  

   to 
  examine 
  specimens 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  plumage. 
  Whether 
  such 
  

   specimens 
  would 
  bring 
  this 
  bird 
  more 
  to 
  the 
  yellow-breasted 
  

   or 
  to 
  the 
  green-breasted 
  group 
  is 
  an 
  open 
  question 
  ; 
  but 
  its 
  

   nearest 
  ally 
  is 
  apparently 
  P. 
  nova-guinea. 
  

  

  11. 
  Pitta 
  maxima. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  maxima, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  419. 
  

  

  I 
  venture 
  to 
  place 
  this 
  superb 
  bird 
  amongst 
  the 
  green- 
  

   breasted 
  Pittas, 
  for 
  reasons 
  which 
  I 
  will 
  proceed 
  to 
  point 
  out. 
  

   The 
  metallic 
  blue 
  rump-baud, 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  adult 
  is 
  at 
  the 
  

   present 
  time 
  reduced 
  to 
  a 
  few 
  feathers, 
  but 
  is, 
  as 
  might 
  be 
  

   expected, 
  more 
  clearly 
  defined 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  plumage, 
  shows 
  us 
  

   that 
  this 
  species 
  has 
  been 
  greatly 
  modified. 
  These 
  few 
  bright 
  

  

  