188 dr. a. gunther on new reptiles and fishes. [jime 24, 



Pitta vigorsi. 



Pitta vigorsi, Gouldj Birds of Australia, vol. iv. pi. 2. 



I had proposed a name for this species, supposing it to be new, and 

 misled by Bonaparte's ' Conspectus,' which gives " gula nigra" as a 

 character of vigorsi. Having since, at Mr. Gould's suggestion, com- 

 pared my bird with the type in the Museum of the Linnean Society, 

 I find it to be the same. My specimen is a fine adult male, and 

 differs from Gould's figure and description in having the bill en- 

 tirely black, and in the red of the under parts being much mixed 

 with black on the breast. 



Total length 7 inches ; wing 4f inches ; bill, from gape, 1|- inch. 



Hab. Banda Island (Moluccas). 



Remark. — The habitat "Australia" is probably a mistake, as the 

 birds of this genus are very local, and no well-authenticated speci- 

 men has ever been received from that country. 



Pitta crassirostris. 



Similar in colour to P. vigorsi; but the superciliary stripes are 

 altogether pale rufous, the colour beneath is lighter (agreeing with 

 P. concinna), and the chin is black, which colour extends in a tri- 

 angle on to the throat, without being produced into a stripe, as in 

 P. concinna. Bill black, with the base of the lower mandible horny ; 

 feet very pale flesh-colour ; iris black. 



Total length 7j inches ; wing 4|- inches ; bill, from gape, 1^ inch. 



Hab. Sula Island (Xulla of the English maps), E. of Celebes. 



Remark. — This species differs from its nearest allies by its very 

 strong bill, as well as by the peculiarities of colouring above de- 

 scribed. It is very like Temminck's figure of P. irena from Timor ; 

 but that species appears to have much more blue on the back, and 

 the bill entirely black, and not so strong. It is also highly impro- 

 bable that the same bird should be found in such distant localities, 

 when so many of the neighbouring islands have each their peculiar 

 species. 



2. Descriptions of New Species of Eeptiles and Fishes 

 IN the Collection of the British Museum. By 

 Albert Giinther, M.A., M.D., Ph.D., F.Z.S. 



(Plates XXV., XXVI., XXVII.) 



Chloroscartes. 



(Fam. Agamid^.) 



Head short, body and base of tail compressed, tail exceedingly 

 long. Head covered with numerous smooth, small shields ; all the 

 scales keeled, small, those of the belly and tail being the larger ; 

 scales on the throat conical. Femoral pores very prominent, in a 

 longish series ; prseanal pores none. A low crest of triangular scales 

 on the neck ; a series of enlarged, sharp scales along the median line 



