INTRODUCTION. xil 
first containing P. cyanoptera (=P. mozuccensis, Müll.) and its allies, with buff or 
greenish-yellow breasts ; b, P. cucuLLATA and the black-headed species, together with 
P. ırıs (not especially related to this group), and also P. MAXIMA on what appears as 
very insufficient reasons; е, P. vssuEnr Р. venusra, P. granatina, nec Temm. 
(=P. GRANATINA BORNEENSIS), P. coccinea (=P. GRANATINA, Temm.), and Р. ARCUATA ; 
d, Р. ERYTHOGASTRA and those species having brown or black throats. The 
fourth genus EucicHLa contains those species recognized in this Monograph as 
belonging to it, with Pırra CYANEA and P. BAuDI added. ANTHOCINCLA PHAYREI 
and Prrra OREAS are omitted, the latter apparently because it was considered in the 
“Catalogue of Birds’ to be inseparable from P. NYMPHA. Pitta bankana is deemed 
distinct from P. cucuLLaATa, but no reasons given; and P. sorpına (called P. atricapilla), 
from Borneo and Sanghir, is recognized as P. muelleri and P. sanghirana. The 
arrangement proposed cannot be considered an improvement on those previously 
attempted, and brings some species together not particularly allied, and separates 
others that are. 
GENERA. 
Numerous genera have at various times been proposed for the different species of this 
Family, the majority of which, however, can only be considered as useful, when employed 
in a subgeneric sense, to indicate the several sections or groups into which the Pitta seem 
naturally divided. The first genus that was proposed was Prrra, instituted by Vieillot in 
his * Analyse,’ 1816, p. 42. He defines it as follows :— “ Brève, Pitta, Corvus, Linn., Gm., 
Lath. Bee robuste, un peu épais à la base, droit, convexe en dessus, comprimé, pointu, 
mandible supérieure échancrée vers le bout; linferieure entière égale. Ailes longues. 
Queue courte. Esp. Brève, Buffon.” In the ‘Auk’ for January 1893 I have considered 
what genera should properly be adopted for the Pittidæ ; and as there has been some 
discussion on this point, it is probably as well to reproduce here the substance of my 
remarks for the benefit of those who may not be able to refer to the Journal above 
mentioned. In the definition of his genus Pırra, Vieillot gives no character, except 
<“ Queue courte,” which might not equally apply to the species in the other division of 
the Family which in this work are included in the genus Ёссїснгл. The expression 
given above is a relative term, as all the Pitta have short tails, although some have them 
shorter than others; but all the members of EucicuLa, the re long-tailed species, 
are not equal in this respect, E. grrrorí and E. GURNEYI being intermediate between the 
very short-tailed species, of which P. BrRacHYura (Linn.) may be considered the type, 
and E. GuaraNa (Müll.), which represents those with long tails. Vieillot cites the Breves 
