x PITTA GRANATINA. 
| | 
PURPLE PITIA 
Pitta granatina, Temm. Plan. Col. 1830, pl. 506 (nec Borneo).—Less. Trait. Ornith. 1831, р. 395.—Blyth, 
E 1 Cat. В. Mus. Asiat. Soc. Beng. 1849, р. 157 (specim. ex Malacca).— Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1854, 
| p. 274 (Malacca).—Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. Ind. Co. p. 184 (Malacca).—Kelham, Ibis, 
| 1881, р. 509 (Malacca).—Sharpe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1887, p. 432 (Larut Hills, Perak, Straits 
| Settlements).—Elliot, Auk, 1892, p. 218. 
| Pitta coccinea, Eyton, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 104 (Malaya).— Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. vol. xii. 1843, 
р. 961, vol. xvi. 1847, p. 153.—Hume & Davis. Str. Feath. vol. vi. 1878, p. 511, App. 1 (Johore, 
Tenasserim).—Hume, Str. Feath. vol. viii. 1879, p. 94.—Oates, B. Brit. Burm. vol. i. 1883, | 
p. 417.—Gould, B. Asia, vol. v. pl. 68.—Sclat. Cat. B. vol. xiv. 1888, p. 431.— Whitehead, Ibis, 
1893, p. 503 (Tenasserim, Malay Peninsula). 
Brachyurus granatinus, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. vol. i. 1850, p. 255.— Elliot, Ibis, 187 0, p. 417, fig. 4 (partim). 
Erythropitta granatina, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anis. 1854, p. 7. no. 191. 
Phenicocichla granatina, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. 1859-60, pt. ii. p. 5 (partim). 
Brachyurus (Erythropitta) granatinus, Elliot, Mon. Pitt. pl. xv. (partim). 
HABITAT. —Tenasserim, Malay Peninsula. 
Front, line over the eyes, lores, and sides of the head black; crown, occiput, and паре crimson; a narrow 
. stripe from behind the eye to nape light blue; back and wings black, the feathers margined with glossy 
purple. Throat brownish-black, with a slight purplish gloss; breast and sides of neck dark purple ; 
rest of underparts and under tail-coverts bright red. Tail black; feathers margined with purplish- 
blue. Bill black ; feet bluish-black. Length 6 inches, wing 33, tail 14. There does not seem to be 
any difference in the plumage of the sexes. 
Young. Davison, /. c., describes the young as having the lower parts dusky, with the feathers edged with 
dull orange-crimson, no occipital stripe, and the bright edges of wing-coverts absent. The crimson of 
the head is confined to a spot on the occiput; forehead and crown dusky brown, with a slight red 
tinge on margin of feathers. Interscapulary region dull black, and scapulars, tips of secondaries, 
tertials, rump, and tail washed with blue. Bill black ; gape and spot at point of bill orange-vermilion ; 
legs, feet, and claws pale lavender. 
In my paper published in the ‘ Auk,’ 7. e., entitled “ Pitta granatina, Temminck et 
auctores,” I have discussed the nomenclature and specific value of this species and its 
relative from Borneo, and there showed that Temminck never described nor figured the 
Bornean bird, although he stated that his species came from that island, but, on the 
contrary, his text describes and his plate represents the species from Malacca, afterwards 
called by Eyton, /. e., Pitta coccinea. It is rather remarkable that for over sixty years 
this fact should have escaped the notice of ornithologists, although the species has, at 
various times, been the subject of considerable discussion. It would seem that all have 
been misled by Temminck’s assertion that his speeimens (there were two adult females, 
according to his statement) came from Pontianak, Borneo. That he did not figure either 
of these is proved by Schlegel, who, in “Пе Vogels van Nederlandsch Indië, J. e., figures 
the true Bornean bird, presumably from Temminck’s specimens, as, neither in this work 
nor in the * Muséum des Pays-Bas, /. c., does he make any mention of the Malaccan 
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