E 
PITTA VIGORSE 
VIGORS' PITTA. 
Púta brachyura (nec Linn.), Vig. & Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xv. 1826, p. 218.— Meyer, Isis, 1884, 
p. 43 (Dammar). 
Pitta vigorsi, Gould, B. Austr. vol. iv. pl. 2.—Id. Int. B. Austr. p. т. —14. Handb. B. Austr. vol. ii. 1865, 
p. 527.— Müll. & Schleg. Verh. Natuur. Geschied. Ned. overz. Bezitt., Zool. Pitta, 1839-44, p.17.— 
Gray, Gen. B. vol. i. 1846, p. 213.— Wall. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. 188 (Banda).—Id. Ibis, 1864, 
pp. 104, 106.—Schleg. Vog. Ned. Ind., Pitta, 1863, pp. 14, 33, pl. 3. fig. 4.—Id. Mus. Pays-B., Pitta, 
1863, p. 11; 1874, p. 15 (Grand Danda, Paulo-Ai).—Finsch, Neu-Guin. 1865, p. 167.—Salv. Ann. 
Mus. Civ. Gen. vol. xvi. 1880, p. 185.—Id. Orn. Papuas. vol. ii. 1881, p. 392 (Timor-Laut).—Id. 
Proc. Zool. Soc. 1884, p. 579 (Dammar and Timor-Laut).—Meyer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. 1884, p. 210 
(Timor-Laut).—Sclat. Cat. В. vol. xiv. 1888, р. 426 (Banda and Timor-Laut).—Whitehead, Ibis, 
1893, p. 496. 
Coloburis vigorsi, Cab. & Hein. Mus. Hein. pt. ii. 1859, р. 4 (Lombock). 
Brachyurus vigorsi, Bonap. Consp. Voluc. Anisod. 1854, p. 7. no. 185.—Elliot, Mon. Pitt. 1863, pl. vii.—Id. 
Ibis, 1870, p. 415. 
Hagırar.—Grand Banda, Paulo-Ai (Hoedt); Timor-Laut, Dammar, Lombock (Cabanis & Heine). 
Head black with pale yellowish stripe, tinged with blue, from nostrils over the eye to nape; back and 
wings yellowish-green; lesser wing-coverts and bar on rump light blue; primaries black, with a 
white central spot on 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. Throat white; underparts ochreous; centre of abdomen 
and lower tail-coverts scarlet, mixed with black on former. Tail black, tipped with green. Bill black ; 
feet pale yellowish horn-colour; iris dark brown. Length 62 inches, wing 44, tail 14. 
This species, described by Mr. Gould, /. c., was supposed by him to be а native 
of Australia, but in his ‘ Introduction” he says he believes New Guinea to be its habitat. 
Mr. Wallace, however, obtained it on the Island of Banda, and it has since been found on 
other islands of the Archipelago, but never in Australia. It is very like Р. brachyura, 
Linn., and was indeed supposed by Vigors and Horsfield to be the same as that species. 
It differs, however, in having the head black instead of brown; the superciliary stripes 
nearly meet at the occiput, and the tail is tipped with green instead of blue. Sclater 
says, J. c., that the tail is tripped with blue; but this is an error. 
Cabanis and Heine, /. e., give Lombock as the habitat of the single specimen in the 
Heine collection. I think this locality must be an error, as I have not seen this island 
mentioned by any other writer as one on which this species has been met with. 
We have no knowledge of the habits and economy of this Pitta, but doubtless in this 
respect it resembles its relative Р. brachyura. 
