I 



PITTA GRANATINA, 7 



emm. 



Bornean Pitta. 



Pitta granatina, Temm. PI. Col. 506.— Lesson, Traite d'Orn. p. 395.— Mull. & Schl. Verh. Nat. Gesch. Zool. 



Pitta, pp. 10, 15, 20— Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 213— Blyth, Journ. Asiatic Soc. Beng. xvi. p. 326.— 



Id. Cat. Birds Mus. Asiatic Soc. Beng. p.157 — Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Pitta, p. 5— Id. Vog.Nederl. 



Indie, pp. 20, 35, pi. 5. fig. 3.— Wallace, Ibis, 1864, p. 107.— Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 242— Schlegel, 



Mus. Pays-Bas, Revue Pitta, p. 9. 

 Brachyurus granatinus, Bonap. Consp. Av. i. p. 255.— Elliot, Monogr. Pittidse, pi. xv. 

 Erythropsitta granatina, Bonap. Consp. Volucr. Anis. p. 7 (pt.).— Walden, Ibis, 1872, p. 374. 

 Phcenicocichla granatina, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. ii. p. 5 (pt.). 

 Pitta (Phcenicocichla) granatina, Gray, Hand-list of Birds, i. p. 296 (pt.). 

 Brachyurus (Phcenicocichla) granatinus, Elliot, Ibis, 1870, p. 417, fig. 3 (pt.). 



This beautiful Pitta was first described by Temminck from specimens procured by Diard near Pontianak, in 

 Borneo. Since the time when its discovery took place, the species has been sent by other travellers in that 

 great island ; but it has never been seen in any quantity, and cannot be called a common bird. Several 

 writers have united the Malayan species, Pitta coccinea of Eyton, with the true Pitta granatina of Borneo ; 

 but, as I have remarked in my account of the former species, this is, in my opinion, an erroneous 

 identification. 



Indeed I am not sure that a second species has not been confounded under the single heading of P. 

 granatina in the island of Borneo itself; and I invite attention to the differences which will be observed at a 

 glance in the two figures drawn on the accompanying Plate. One of these birds is a little smaller than the 

 other, and has the red nape-patch much finer, while there is a good deal of difference in the colour of the 

 dorsal plumage. One bird has the feathers of the back rounded and deep purple, while in the other the 

 feathers are pointed and beautifully glossed with purplish lilac, which is quite metallic in its brilliancy. I 

 am not sure whether these two different states of plumage represent a distinction of sex ; but if my surmise 

 should prove correct that there are two species in Borneo, hitherto confounded under the same name, I would 

 propose for the lilac-backed bird the appellation of Pitta adoranda, reserving that of granatina for the 

 species with the dark purplish back, as I have in my collection an example in this state received direct 

 from Temminck when he was Director of the Leiden Museum. 



The present species appears to be confined to the island of Borneo, at different points of which it has 

 been met with by collectors. Diard first collected it at Pontianak, Schwaner at Banjermassing, Everett at 

 Marup, and David and Beccari at Sarawak, while I have been lately informed by Mr. Sharpe that it occurred 

 in Mr. W. B. Pryer's consignment from Sandakan in North-east Borneo. Like most of the Pittas it would 

 appear to be migratory ; for the Marquis Doria writes that the species does not seem to be resident in the 

 vicinity of Sarawak, as no specimens were seen during June and November. The stomachs of the specimens 

 killed by him contained remains of small Cockroaches and Coleoptera ; the iris is brown. 



In the Plate are figured two specimens, one being referable to Pitta granatina, the other being the bird 

 I propose to call P. adoranda, if it should prove to be distinct. They are both in my own collection. 









