

PITTA ATRICAPILLA, c„„. 



Black-headed Pitta. 



Pitta atricapilla, Cuv — Miill. Verh. Nat. Gesch. Nederl. Ind., p. 19. 



Philippensis, Vieill. 



melanocephala, Wagl. 



brevicauda, Bodd.— Gray— Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 214, Pitta, sp. 28. 



Corvus br achy urus philippensis, Gmel. 



Brachyurus atricapilla, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 256, Brachyurus, sp. 25— Buff. PL Enl., 89, 



Miilleri, Bonap. Consp, Gen. Av., p. 256, Brachyurus. sp. 23 ? 



The Indian Islands would seem to be the great stronghold of the members of the beautiful Pitta, for 

 although some of the species are found on the continent of India, by for the greater number of them inhabit 

 the islands running southward from thence to Australia. It will be seen that I have considered the Pitta 

 Miilleri as identical with the present bird ; if I am wrong in so doing, an opportunity will doubtless occur for 

 my correcting the error. I have now before me several specimens from very distant localities, all so inti- 

 mately allied, as to leave no doubt in my mind of their being one and the same species. From the collection 

 of T. C. Eyton, Esq., I have a fine adult from China ; in the British Museum there are both old and young 

 birds from the Philippine Islands ; while in my own collection there is a specimen from Borneo, the 

 latter differing only in being a trifle larger in size than those from more northern localities, the colouring 

 and every mark being precisely the same. If the Pitta Miilleri be distinct, it is a bird I have not seen, or 

 my recollection has failed me since I examined the fine series of this group of birds in the splendid Museum 

 at Ley den. 



Although the brilliant plumage is acquired almost as soon as the bird has left the nest, considerable dif- 

 ference occurs both in the intensity of the black which covers the head and the extent of the white on the 

 primaries, which is much less than in the adults ; moreover, in the youthful state the first and second 

 primaries are in some instances entirely black ; and large blotches of white occur on the secondaries, of 

 which there is no trace whatever when the bird has attained its complete livery. A difference is not to be 

 looked for in the colouring of the sexes, for they are alike in this respect, a somewhat smaller size only 

 indicating the female. Dense woods of bamboos, forests bordering hills, and dry stony gullies shrouded 

 from the light, are the favourite resort of this bird, in which respect its habits assimilate to those of its 

 prototypes in Australia, the Pitta Iris and P. strepitans. 



Head and neck deep black ; back, scapularies and tertiaries dark grass-green ; lesser wing-coverts shining 

 verditer blue ; greater coverts light grass-green ; primaries white, tipped with brownish black ; spurious 

 wing and base of the secondaries deep black; rump and upper tail-coverts shining verditer blue; tail 

 deep black, slightly tipped with green ; under surface of the shoulder black ; breast, abdomen and flanks 

 green ; centre of the abdomen and under tail-coverts blood-red ; bill black ; feet fleshy brown. 



The front figure is of the natural size; the hinder one somewhat reduced. 



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