﻿502 
  Mr, 
  John 
  Whitehead 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  12. 
  Pitta 
  steerii. 
  

  

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

  

  The 
  young 
  have 
  the 
  breast 
  greyish, 
  the 
  median 
  patch 
  

   pink, 
  each 
  feather 
  being 
  edged 
  with 
  black 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  distinct 
  

   specukim 
  on 
  the 
  primaries, 
  which 
  is 
  absent 
  in 
  adults. 
  

  

  This 
  species, 
  as 
  Count 
  Salvadori 
  has 
  pointed 
  out, 
  is 
  allied 
  

   to 
  P. 
  maxima. 
  

  

  c. 
  Group 
  of 
  P. 
  ussheri. 
  

   This 
  section 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  five 
  distinct 
  species, 
  four 
  of 
  

   which 
  grade 
  into 
  each 
  other, 
  while 
  the 
  fifth, 
  P. 
  arcuata, 
  

   connects 
  this 
  group 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  P. 
  erythroyastra. 
  P. 
  ar- 
  

   cuata 
  has 
  the 
  bright 
  post-superciliaries, 
  and, 
  to 
  a 
  less 
  degree, 
  

   the 
  bright 
  edgings 
  to 
  the 
  wing-coverts 
  of 
  this 
  section, 
  — 
  the 
  

   green 
  back, 
  chestnut 
  head, 
  and 
  white 
  bases 
  to 
  the 
  scarlet 
  

   breast-feathers 
  of 
  the 
  next 
  section. 
  The 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  breast- 
  

   feathers 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  2, 
  3, 
  and 
  4 
  are 
  dusky 
  black, 
  which 
  

   dulls 
  down 
  the 
  vitality 
  of 
  the 
  crimson. 
  In 
  P. 
  coccinea 
  the 
  

   bases 
  of 
  the 
  head-feathers 
  are 
  partly 
  white, 
  while 
  in 
  P. 
  grana- 
  

   tina 
  they 
  are 
  decidedly 
  blacker. 
  The 
  sexes 
  are 
  similar. 
  

  

  1. 
  Pitta 
  venusta. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  venusta, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  429. 
  

  

  " 
  Irides 
  dark 
  brown 
  ; 
  bill 
  black 
  ; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  a 
  beautiful 
  

   shade 
  of 
  pale 
  blue 
  " 
  {H. 
  O. 
  Forbes) 
  . 
  

  

  The 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  centre 
  breast-feathers 
  are 
  white 
  like 
  

   those 
  of 
  P. 
  arcuata, 
  but 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  flanks 
  are 
  dusky 
  black. 
  

  

  2. 
  Pitta 
  ussheri. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  iissheri, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  430. 
  

  

  Irides 
  dark 
  brown; 
  bill 
  black; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  slate-blue 
  

   {Whitehead). 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  bird 
  described 
  and 
  figured 
  by 
  Gould 
  in 
  his 
  

   ' 
  Birds 
  of 
  Asia 
  ^ 
  (vol. 
  v. 
  ph 
  75) 
  I 
  take 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  young 
  of 
  the 
  

   next 
  species, 
  P. 
  granatina, 
  as 
  the 
  head 
  shows 
  traces 
  of 
  a 
  pink 
  

   tinge 
  where 
  the 
  scarlet 
  patch 
  would 
  be 
  in 
  that 
  species. 
  

  

  3. 
  Pitta 
  granatina. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  granatina, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  430. 
  

  

  Specimens 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  vary 
  much, 
  the 
  black 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  