﻿504 
  Mr. 
  John 
  Whitehead 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  o{ 
  P. 
  erythrogastray 
  whereas 
  the 
  adult 
  plumage 
  joins 
  this 
  

   species 
  to 
  the 
  section 
  of 
  P. 
  ussheri. 
  

  

  Iris 
  blackish 
  brown 
  ; 
  bill 
  dull 
  brown, 
  greyish 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  

   o£ 
  lower 
  mandible 
  ; 
  legs 
  slate-grey. 
  

  

  d. 
  Group 
  of 
  P. 
  erythroyastra. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  almost 
  impossible 
  to 
  arrange 
  this 
  group 
  satisfactorily, 
  

   because 
  of 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  material 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Museum. 
  

   Six 
  species 
  (namely, 
  P. 
  cceruhitorques, 
  P. 
  palliceps, 
  P. 
  pro- 
  

   jnnqiia, 
  P. 
  finschi, 
  P. 
  lorice, 
  and 
  P. 
  kochi) 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  twelve 
  

   are 
  not 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  National 
  collection. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  

   said, 
  however, 
  that 
  the 
  group 
  is 
  very 
  compact, 
  all 
  the 
  species 
  

   having 
  brown 
  or 
  black-and-brown 
  throats, 
  beneath 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  

   pectoral 
  band 
  of 
  shining 
  greyish 
  blue, 
  sometimes 
  flanked 
  

   with 
  green, 
  and 
  divided 
  by 
  a 
  black 
  band 
  or 
  otherwise 
  from 
  

   the 
  bright 
  scarlet 
  breast. 
  The 
  backs 
  are 
  green-aud-blue 
  or 
  

   blue 
  ; 
  the 
  heads 
  brown, 
  sometimes 
  striped 
  with 
  blue 
  ; 
  

   the 
  napes 
  brown, 
  chestnut-brown, 
  or 
  bright 
  scarlet. 
  

   P. 
  finschi 
  and 
  P. 
  lorice 
  must 
  be 
  very 
  closely 
  allied 
  to 
  P. 
  

   mackloti, 
  specimens 
  of 
  that 
  species 
  differing 
  very 
  much 
  inter 
  

   se 
  in 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  brown 
  on 
  the 
  nape. 
  In 
  some 
  specimens 
  

   of 
  P. 
  mackloti 
  the 
  brown 
  of 
  the 
  crown 
  changes 
  into 
  dull 
  

   chestnut 
  on 
  the 
  nape, 
  in 
  others 
  into 
  bright 
  brick-red. 
  Again, 
  

   the 
  crown 
  is 
  often 
  striped 
  with 
  blue 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  celebensis. 
  

   P. 
  mackloti 
  might 
  probably 
  be 
  split 
  up 
  into 
  a 
  dozen 
  species, 
  all 
  

   showing 
  slight 
  local 
  variations. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  young 
  of 
  this 
  group 
  in 
  the 
  nestling 
  plumage 
  are 
  

   similar, 
  of 
  a 
  dull 
  brown 
  with 
  indistinct 
  pale 
  pink 
  median 
  

   stripes 
  and 
  dull 
  slate-blue 
  rumps 
  and 
  tails. 
  The 
  legs 
  and 
  

   feet 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  group 
  are, 
  I 
  believe, 
  greyish 
  blue, 
  like 
  those 
  

   of 
  P. 
  erythrogastra, 
  and 
  not 
  brown. 
  

  

  1. 
  Pitta 
  erythrogastra. 
  

  

  Pitta 
  erythrogastra, 
  Scl. 
  op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  43.2. 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  in 
  first 
  plumage 
  are 
  dull 
  brown 
  above, 
  with 
  

   greenish-brown 
  secondaries 
  ; 
  upper 
  tail-coverts 
  and 
  tail 
  dull 
  

   slate-blue 
  ; 
  beneath, 
  feathers 
  dull 
  whitish 
  brown, 
  edged 
  with 
  

   darker 
  brown, 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  lighter 
  and 
  more 
  huffish 
  brown 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  