3 
Rosenberg states that in the Aru Islands they frequently saw, 
in the deep recesses of the 
forests far from the paths made by the natives, two Pittas, Р. mackloti and P. nove-quinee 
(atricapilla, Q. & G.), peculiar to New Guinea, and which are called by the natives 
Kabèrber. They were in the habit of elevating and depressing the tail, when the beautiful 
red colour of the belly could be seen from quite a distance. At Wonumbai both species 
were numerous: there the nest and eges were found. The nest was composed of straws 
and grass, with moss and leaves &c., and contained three or four white eggs, with red or 
greyish-ash spots. Specimens from the Aru Islands are somewhat smaller in dimensions 
than those from other localities. This seems to be also the faet with examples of 
P. mackloti, as mentioned in the text on that species. 
The variations in size, or the disappearance in certain instances of the white spot on the 
primaries, may possibly be caused by the sex or the age of the individual. We know in the 
case of P. sordida that the extent of white on the quills is a sexual character, as I have 
shown in my article on that species, and it may be the same cause that affects the presence 
or absence of this mark in other of the black-headed species that possess it at all, although 
in some instances it seems to be only an individual variation. Doubtless in time we shall 
be able to determine this; at present our knowledge is not sufficient to enable us to 
arrive at a definite decision. In New Guinea, according to Dr. Ramsay, this Pitta appears 
to be fairly abundant, and is distributed over the whole of the south-east coast and adjacent 
islands. At Port Moresby all his specimens were obtained from the hill-sides, in the serub 
and jungle of the ravines and water-courses. In 1877-8 no Pittas were found in the 
district on account of the great drought that prevailed, but in March and April 1878 they 
appeared in considerable numbers. 
A AI 
