PITTA INSPECULATA. 
FALAUI PITTA 
Pitta inspeculata, Meyer & Wiglesw. Journ. für Ornit. 1894, p. 245.—Rothsch. Bull. Brit. Ornith. Club, 
no. xix., 30th June, 1894.—14. Ibis, 1894, p. 547. 
HaBiTAT.—Kabruang and Salibabu, Talaut Islands. 
Front and crown blackish-brown, grading into rufous on the occiput and hind neck, bordered by a narrow 
semi-collar of light blue. Back, wings, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail sky-blue, lightest on the rump. 
Primaries black; no white speculum in the adult, but a trace of it is observed in the immature 
bird. Chin and sides of face light rufous. Middle and lower part of throat black. А broad pale blue 
band crosses upper part of breast, and the entire lower parts bricht red. Bill black. Feet and legs 
lead-colour. Total length 94-100, tail c. 35, bill 15°5-16 (juv. 13°5), tarsus 36 millim. 
(Meyer & Wiglesw.) 
When the Introduction to this work had nearly passed through the press, Messrs. Meyer 
and Wiglesworth described a Pitta from two islands of the Talaut Group, which apparently 
represents a new species. These islands lie to the north-eastward of the Sanghirs, and the 
specimens of this new Pitta were received in a small collection of birds procured on 
Kabruang and Salibabu. The Talaut Pitta has its nearest ally in Р. eyanonota from Ternate 
and Guebéh ; but is easily distinguished from that species by the greater extent of black upon 
the throat, by the presence of a semi-light-blue collar, and the absence of the black margin 
beneath the blue breast-band. In the adult there is no white speculum on the primaries, 
although the describers state there is a vestige of this observable on the primaries of the 
young. From the other species, which do not have a black lower margin to the breast- 
band, such as P. rufiventris, Р. erythrogastra, &c., it is at once recognizable by its blue back, 
in this respect resembling P. eyanonota and P. propinqua. Тһе native name of P. inspeculata 
is  Angkaruü.” Nothing is related as to the habits and economy of this Pitta. 
The discovery of this new form shows how local many of the members of this Family 
are in their habitats, and that not infrequently contiguous islands possess their own 
distinct species, although the waters that separate them are of no considerable width. We 
must expect, therefore, as the various incompletely explored islands in the Eastern 
Archipelago become better known, that perhaps many new and attractive members of this 
brilliantly plumaged Family will be made known to naturalists. The discovery of the 
Talaut Pitta is of such recent occurrence that it could not be inserted in the various places 
of my Introduction where it should properly appear ; but I have fortunately been able to 
introduce it in the Analytical Table, and thus exhibit the position it should rightfully 
occupy in the arrangement of the Family. 
The drawing is made from a specimen in the collection of the Hon. Walter Rothschild, 
who kindly permitted it to be figured for this work, and to whom I desire to express my 
thanks. 
DE — 
