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PITTA STREPITANS. 
NOISY PITTA. 
Pitta strepitans, Temm. Plan. Col. 1825, no. 333, 56th livr.—Jard. & Selby, Ill. Orn. 1825-39, vol. i. 
pl. 77.—Less. Trait. Orn. 1831, p. 395. sp. 8.—Miill. & Schleg. Verh. Natuur. Geschied. Ned. 
overz. Bezitt., Zool. Pitta, 1831-44, p. 16.—Gray, Gen. B. vol. i. 1846, p. 213.—Id. Proc. Zool. 
Soc. 1858, p. 191.—Id. Cat. B. N. Guin. 1859, p. 56.—Gould, B. Austr. vol iv. 1848, 
pl.i.—Id. Handb. B. Austr. vol. i. 1865, p. 430.—Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. Asiat. Soc. Beng. 1849, 
p. 156.—Schleg. Mus. Pays-B., Pitta, 1863, p. 10; 1874, p. 13.— Wallace, Ibis, 1864, p. 106.— 
Krefft, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 319.— Ramsay, Ibis, 1867, p. 416 (nest & eggs).—Id. Proc. 
Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, vol. ii. 1877-78, р. 187. no. 295.—Masters, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, 
vol. i. 1877, p. 54. sp. 53 (Palm Island).—Id. vol. ii. 1878, р. 187.—Sclat. Cat. В. vol. xiv. 
1888, p. 428.—Whitehead, Ibis, 1893, p. 497. 
Pitta versicolor, Swains. Zool. Journ. vol. i, Jan. 1825, p. 468.—Steph. Shaw's Gen. Zool. vol. xiii. pt. 2, 
1825, p. 183. sp. 3. 
Brachyurus strepitans, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. vol. i. 1850, p. 254. sp. 5.—Id. Consp. Voluc. Anisod. 
1854, p. 7.—Elliot, Mon. Pitt. 1863, pl. ix.—Id. Ibis, 1870, p. 415. 
Colubris strepitans, Cab. & Hein. Mus. Hein. pt. ii. 1859-60, p. 3. sp. 3. 
Pitta simillima, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 76.— Elliot, Ibis, 1870, p. 409.—Schleg. Mus. Pays-B., 
Pitta, 1874, p. 13.—Masters, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, vol. i. 1877, p. 54. no. 54 (Bet 
Island).—Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, vol. ii. 1878, p. 187. no. 296.—D'Alb. & 
Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vol xiv. 1879, p. 83 (Fly River, New Guinea).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. 
Civ. Gen. xvi. 1880, p. 184.— Id. Orn. Papuas. vol. ii. 1881, p. 389. 
Pitta krefti, Salvad. Att. Sc. It. vol. xii. 1869, p. 551.— Id. Ibis, 1870, р. 296. 
Pitta strepitans, var. simillima, Ramsay, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 591. 
Pitta assimilis, D'Alb. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vol. x. 1877, p. 12.—Id. Ibis, 1877, p. 368 (Kataw River, 
New Guinea). 
Hasrrat.—Eastern Australia; Islands of Torres Straits.—Southern New Guinea. 
Top of head and nape rich dark chestnut; vertical stripe, lores, sides of head, back of neck, and throat, 
extending to a point on the breast, jet-black. Back, margin of secondaries, and greater coverts bright 
deep green; lesser wing-coverts and band across lower part of rump pale shining blue. Primaries 
black, with a white spot in centre, and tipped with pale brown. Tail black, tipped with dark gréen. 
Beneath fawn-colour or light buff, with a large black patch in centre of abdomen ; lower part of belly 
and under tail-coverts scarlet. Bill black; feet and tarsi flesh-colour; iris chestnut. Total length 
84 inches, wing 5, tail 2, tarsus 17, bill at gape 13. 
Sexes alike in plumage. 
In Australia; Gould says that this species is tolerably abundant on the east coast 
between the Maequarie river and Moreton Bay, and according to Ramsay it is found 
plentifully in the dense brushes of the Clarence and Richmond rivers, which is its nearest 
approach to Sydney ; while it extends its range northward to the Albert river, and perhaps 
farther on the coast wherever suitable localities for it are found. Ramsay in the Ibis, 7. c., 
has given the most complete account ofthe habits and economy of this species, and 
according to him it frequents thickets and dense portions of the scrubs, its loud liquid 
eall alone betraying its presence to its pursuer. It is extremely graceful in its move- 
ments and trips over leaves and logs, or threads its way through the vegetation, with ease 
