266 ON THE GENUS PITTA. 



plumage to the best advantage. The colours of the soft parts in life are as 

 follows : — legs pale flesh-colour, soles yellowish ; bill black, gape pale 

 chrome-yellow. In its sudden darts this Pitta somewhat resembles Cinclus. 

 The above details were the result of a careful examination by Mr. 

 Keulemans for the purpose of this article, and were taken down on the 

 spot. 



Returning to Pitta rosenbergi, I now come to some valuable particulars 

 received by me from Dr. Meyer. He remarks as follows : — 



'^ Pitta rosenberffi, Schlegel, is one of the most common birds on the 

 island of Mysore (' Willem-Schouten Island ' of the Dutch). In the month 

 of April 1873, in the neighbourhood of the chief Papuan settlement there 

 (Kordo), I obtained a good series of this beautiful bird. My general 

 experience in Celebes, in the Philippine Islands, in New Guinea, and 

 elsewhere, was that Pittas are rare birds. It is not often that you hear the 

 flute-like cry of Pitta rosenbergi in the forests ; but if once heard, it is not 

 difficult to shoot it, because you can attract it by imitating its voice, and 

 may thus draw it close to your gun*. Nevertheless the species is a very 

 shy one, and if you do not keep perfectly quiet it will quickly go away. It 

 only feeds upon the ground, and passes quietly through the shrubs and 

 on the fallen leaves of the deeper parts of the tropical forest. 



* This accords with what Mr. E. P. Ramsay states^ in his article on Australian oology 

 (Ibisj n. s._, vol. iii. p. 415) . Speaking of Pitta strepitans, he says : — ^*^ By means of its note^ 

 which is easily imitated in trying to whistle the words ^ want-a-wat[ch)j the bird may be called up 

 within a few feet of its pursuer. I have frequently called it to me^ and watched its graceful 

 motions as it would hop on the dead logs^ roots^ and spurs of the trees^ run along for a few yards, 

 then stop and call^ and appear greatly excited at not finding its supposed mate.^^ 



Again, Mr. A. R. Wallace, in an interesting article on the genus Pitta (Ibis, vol. vi. p. 102), 

 says : — '^ A dead Pitta, as it lies when just shot, is exceedingly beautiful. You do not find it lying 

 on its side, or all in a heap, like other birds, but invariably flat on its back, the feet up in the air, 

 the plumage beautifully puffy, and the crimson patch on the belly displayed to the best advantage.'' 

 — Editor of O. M. 



