PITTA CÆRULEITORQUES. 
BLUE-COLLARED PITTA. 
Pitta ceruleitorques, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vol. ix. 1876, p. 53 (Petta).—Id. Atti Accad. Tor. vol. xiii. 
1877—78, p. 1187.—Meyer in Кох]. Orn. Misc. vol. ii. 1877, p. 324, pl. lxiv. (Tabukan).—Id. 
Isis, 1884, р. 6.—Gould, В. N. Guin. vol. iv. pl. 32.—Sclat. Cat. В. vol. xiv. 1888, p. 433 (Petta, 
Sanghir Islands).—Blas. Ornis, vol. iv. 1888, pp. 532, 534, 601, 637, 646.—Whitehead, Ibis, 
1893, p. 505. 
Hasırar.—Petta, Sanghir Islands (Salvad.) ; Tabukan, Sanghir (Meyer). 
Top of head and hind neck red, brightest on the latter; sides of head and throat reddish-brown, with a 
black patch on lower part of throat ; back green; secondaries dark blue; primaries black, with a 
white spot in centre and a white spot near bend of wing. A broad band around hind neck and one 
across breast pale blue, the latter margined beneath with black ; upper tail-coverts and tail bluish lead- 
отеу; flanks green; rest of under surface bright red, with the tips of long under tail-coverts blue. 
Bill black ; feet and tarsi lead-colour. Length 6 inches, wing 4, tail 13, tarsus 2, culmen 1. 
This Pitta is a member of the red-breasted group, and was described by Count 
Salvadori from a specimen obtained at Petta, one of the Sanghir Islands. As stated by 
its describer, the present species differs from Pitta erythrogastra in the more uniform red 
colour of the head and the brighter neck, by the absence of the two dull bands on the 
sides of the crown, by the reddish-brown colour of the sides of the head and throat, 
by the blue of the breast being more extended and separated from the red of the 
abdomen by a well-marked black band, and also by a somewhat larger size. This 
species and the one with which the above comparison is made, together with Pitta 
propinqua, are distinguished also from the other members of the red-breasted group by 
having a blue half-collar on the lower part of the hind neck. 
Pitta ceruleitorques, according to Meyer, l. е., inhabits the largest islands of the Sanghir 
group, and presents a good example of the peculiar geographical distribution occasionally 
met with among members of the Pittidæ, as it is more closely allied to Pitta erythro- 
gastra from the Philippines on the north than it is to the two species from the islands 
lying immediately to the south, viz. Pitta palliceps from Siao, and Pitta celebensis from 
Celebes. 
It is a species not often represented in collections as yet, and nothing is known of 
its economy or habits. It is, however, one of the most beautiful members of the 
group to which it belongs, as a glance at the accompanying Plate will demonstrate. 
The figures are drawn from the type specimen, kindly brought to London at my 
request by Count T. Salvadori for the purpose of being introduced into this work, 
and I take this opportunity of returning my thanks to my friend for the service he 
has rendered both to myself as well as to the possessors of this volume. 
