DN ARAU E OTE 
— 
RER 
4 
Though very shy and wary, it is at the same time inquisitive, and will approach quite 
close to scrutinize anyone, but darts away into cover on the least motion of the person it 
is investigating, In cold stormy days it is frequently caught in the bungalows on the 
coffee-plantations. The Indian Pitta feeds entirely on the ground, on ants, beetles, and 
other insects, which it procures in the earth or under dead leaves. The eggs, which 
measure from 0:96 to 1:07 inch in length by 0:81 to 0-9 inch in breadth, are broad ovals, 
and, as described by Hume, are very glossy; the ground-colour china-white, tinged with 
pink, and speckled and spotted with fine lines of deep maroon, dark and sometimes 
brownish-purple as primary markings and pale inky purple as secondary ones: the first 
are scattered more or less thickly over the entire surface, densest towards one of the ends, 
to which in some eggs they are confined, and then at such places the secondary markings 
are conspicuous and often form a kind of nimbus round all the spots and lines, filling up 
the interstices and producing an irregular mottled cap. 
Several legends are related in connection with this species as given by Legge. The 
Singhalese say that in former times Buddha changed some spotted Thrushes, Turdus 
spiloptera, into Pittas, and they believe that these are the progeny of the Thrushes, asserting 
that in the nest of the latter the young of both species are found. In the North-west 
Province the natives say that this Pitta once possessed the Peacock's plumes, but one day, 
when bathing, the Peacock stole its dress, and ever since it has gone about the jungle, 
calling, ** Ayittam, Ayittam ! ” (my dress, my dress!). Another legend is that this Pitta was 
a Prince deeply enamoured of a beautiful Princess. His father sent him to travel for 
several years, and on his return the Princess was dead, and disconsolate he wandered 
about calling her by name, “ Ayitta, Ayitta!” In compassion the gods transformed him 
into this bird. The near relatives of this Pitta are Р. nympha, Р. oreas, and P. vigorsi, 
which at first sight closely resemble it, but in the general colour and markings of plumage 
have nevertheless very distinct and characteristic differences that enable them all readily 
to be recognized from each other. 
In the xivth volume of the ‘ Catalogue of Birds,’ Mr. Sclater extends the range of this 
species into Assam, Arrakan, and Tenasserim—one of his specimens from Mr. Gould 
being accredited to Assam. I do not find any record of this species having been procured 
east of the Bay of Bengal, and am inclined to think that there is an error in the locality 
of Gould’s specimen. So far as I am aware, no writer on the birds of the countries lying 
to the east of the Bay of Bengal mentions this species as found in their limits. 
The Plate represents the adult and young—the former drawn from specimens taken at 
Kandahar in Ceylon, and the latter from a specimen procured at Simla, and all are in the 
British Museum collection. 
SaaS TE 
