﻿species 
  of 
  the 
  Family 
  Pittidse. 
  501 
  

  

  feathers 
  are 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  what 
  was 
  probably 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  a 
  

   broad 
  band, 
  which 
  has 
  now 
  almost 
  totally 
  disappeared, 
  and 
  

   leads 
  me 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  was, 
  at 
  some 
  

   former 
  period, 
  green, 
  the 
  brighter 
  ornamental 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  

   rump-band 
  having 
  taken 
  longer 
  to 
  become 
  modified 
  than 
  the 
  

   general 
  colouring. 
  The 
  same 
  abandonment 
  of 
  ornamentation 
  

   is 
  also 
  taking 
  place 
  in 
  P. 
  novfe-yuinece, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  already 
  

   pointed 
  out. 
  The 
  great 
  physical 
  development 
  of 
  P. 
  maxima 
  

   is 
  probably 
  owing 
  to 
  an 
  abundant 
  food-supply 
  and 
  to 
  a 
  

   suitable 
  climate. 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  plumage 
  are 
  most 
  interesting, 
  as 
  

   they 
  show 
  by 
  their 
  whitish 
  throat 
  and 
  yellowish 
  breast 
  a 
  

   decided 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  bufit'-breasted 
  

   group, 
  which 
  was 
  probably 
  their 
  ancestral 
  type. 
  

  

  This 
  lovely 
  bird, 
  we 
  are 
  told 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Wallace, 
  inhabits 
  the 
  

   rocky 
  forests 
  of 
  the 
  mountainous 
  island 
  of 
  Halmaheira, 
  

   where 
  it 
  hops 
  about 
  with 
  great 
  activity 
  in 
  the 
  dense 
  tangled 
  

   forests 
  bristling 
  with 
  rocks. 
  Thinking 
  that 
  the 
  white 
  breast 
  

   of 
  this 
  Pitta 
  might 
  be 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  bird's 
  surroundings, 
  I 
  

   wrote 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Wallace, 
  asking 
  him 
  to 
  kindly 
  let 
  me 
  know 
  the 
  

   colour 
  of 
  the 
  rocks 
  amongst 
  which 
  it 
  lives. 
  In 
  answer 
  to 
  my 
  

   question 
  whether 
  they 
  were 
  white, 
  he 
  replies: 
  — 
  "^ 
  The 
  district 
  

   where 
  my 
  specimens 
  of 
  Pitta 
  maxima 
  were 
  obtained 
  was 
  all 
  

   coral-limestone, 
  very 
  rugged, 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  scanty 
  shrubby 
  

   vegetation. 
  This 
  limestone 
  is 
  always 
  full 
  of 
  holes 
  and 
  small 
  

   caverns, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  would 
  offer 
  patches 
  of 
  almost 
  white 
  or 
  

   greyish-white 
  rock, 
  with 
  almost 
  black 
  shadows. 
  The 
  black 
  is, 
  

   I 
  think, 
  the 
  more 
  important, 
  as 
  being 
  protective 
  to 
  the 
  bird, 
  

   when 
  seen 
  from 
  above 
  by 
  birds 
  of 
  prey, 
  while 
  the 
  white 
  of 
  

   the 
  breast 
  would 
  also 
  be 
  assimilated 
  to 
  the 
  rock 
  when 
  seen 
  

   horizontally 
  by 
  carnivorous 
  reptiles 
  (lizards 
  or 
  snakes), 
  for 
  

   there 
  are 
  no 
  carnivorous 
  mammals. 
  I 
  believe 
  the 
  bird 
  is 
  

   also 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  volcanic 
  districts 
  of 
  Gilolo, 
  but 
  here 
  also 
  

   there 
  is 
  rugged 
  rock 
  full 
  of 
  holes 
  and 
  chasms 
  (black) 
  and 
  

   scanty 
  vegetation.'' 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  an 
  interesting 
  speculation 
  whether 
  the 
  continued 
  

   cast-up 
  glare 
  from 
  the 
  white 
  rock 
  may 
  have 
  influenced 
  the 
  

   change 
  of 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  breast 
  of 
  this 
  species. 
  

  

  