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THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



Family Pittidce. Ant-thrushes. 

 Manubrium of sternum forked. Tail quills 12. 



Genus Pitta. 

 Tail short, more or less squared. Birds of varied and 

 brilliant plumage. The young assuming the adult plumage on 

 leaving the nest. 



Noisy Pitta: Pitta strepitans. 



A^^?trahan Museinn. 



The Noisy Pitta. 



Pitta strepitans. 



South New Guinea, Queensland and New South Wales. 



General colour of back and wings deep green; crown of head 

 ferruginous with a narrow black vertical stripe; sides of head, nape and 

 back of neck black; lesser wing-coverts metallic blue, primaries black with 

 white speculum; chin with black spot, breast buff or fawn colour, abdomen 

 with a black patch, vent and under tail-coverts scarlet; upper tail-coverts 

 and tail black, the latter tipped with green. Total length S.5 inch, wing 

 5, tail 2. 



The Noisy Pitta keeps much to the ground, but takes to the 

 branches of the trees if alarmed. Its food consists of insects, 



