INTRODUCTION. 
ХҮШ 
c. Primaries black with white speculum. 
a/. Flanks green . 38. P. atricapilla. 
b/. Flanks purple ` Е E Р š E . 39. P. rosenbergi. 
Pulchripitta. 
F. Underparts black, erissum scarlet | { 4 ; . АО. P. wis. 
Iridipitta. 
G. Underparts and erissum dark purplish blue . : 1 . A41. P. baudı. 
III. Bill moderate, culmen elevated at base, sides compressed at tip, 
which is curved and emarginate ; nostrils lateral and exposed. 
Wings reaching to middle of tail; third and fourth primaries 
equal and longest. Tail, rather long, rectrices graduated, 
somewhat acute. Tarsi very long, slender, broadly scutellated. 
Toes long, claws moderate; hind toe very long . : . EucicHLa. 
Ornatipitta. 
A. Crown black. 
| a. Underparts yellow, crossed with black bars Ñ . . 1. Е. quaiana. 
| | b. Abdomen dark purplish blue . ; : а : . 2. E. boschi. 
| е. Centre of abdomen deep blue ; OE E à . 3. E. schwaneri. 
Insignipitta. 
B. Crown blue. 
| | а. Breast green. ; . 4. E. ellioti. 
x | б. Breast black . і j ; . 5. E. gurneyi. 
| 
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1 
ІН CLASSIFICATION. 
| | | PrrrA were formerly considered to belong to the Oscines, until Dr. Cabanis in 
| Wiegmann’s ‘Archiv,’ vol. хш. 1847, pt. i. p. 216, suggested that they should be 
a exeluded from this division, but hesitated to indicate their probable true position among 
| | | the Families of Birds until the structure of the vocal organs could be ascertained. The 
| difficulty was to obtain specimens in the flesh, for, as a rule, Pitta are rather rare birds, 
! | | and the skins of examples only arrived in Europe ; and it was not until 1876 that Garrod 
| | (Proc. Zool. Soc. p. 513) succeeded in obtaining three specimens of PITTA GUAIANA and 
"E two of PITTA ANGOLENSIS in the flesh, and was able satisfactorily to demonstrate the 
1 | | proper position the Pitta should occupy in a Classification of Birds. 
|| In Pırra ANGOLENSIS he found that the “ unmodified trachea terminates thoracically 
in a ring, split behind and deep in front,” which, from the fact that it presents irregularly 
| placed fenestræ on its anterior surface, arranged in a somewhat transversely linear manner, 
appears to have been formed by the fusion of the rings. This terminal segment of the 
