1897.] Birds of New Guinea. 207 
rapid progress through the intricacies of the pathless woods; 
the wings seem little used. 
Mr. Wallace found the beautiful Pitta concinna at Lombock. 
It frequents the “ dry plains densely covered with thickets, and 
carpeted with dead leaves” and was so shy that only by much 
_ Strategy could Mr. Wallace get a shot at it. By imitating the 
peculiar whistling ery of two notes, he finally succeeded in 
shooting one of the birds that came near. They hop or run 
along the ground picking up insects, and on the slightest alarm 
take refuge in some thickets. The plumage is very soft and 
puffy. The upper body is a rich green, beneath a soft buff, 
very dark on the belly; around the vent and over the under 
tail-coverts lies the usual lovely crimson. The head is deep 
black divided by two narrow strips of blue and brown running 
over the crown as far as the nape. Bright blue appears in 
bands along the shoulders and near the tail. Throat, side face 
and neck are black as well as the under wing-coverts. A bunch 
of cloudy white lies near the black throat. A white spot or two 
marks some of the primaries. Bill black, feet brown. Length 
6.5 inches. ‘ 
Pitta strepitans is Australian but found in Southern New 
Guinea as well as on adjacent islands. In this species also the 
upper parts are dull green with black on the wings, and a 
white speculum, but dim blue plays over the upper wing- 
coverts and rump. The lower parts are mainly identical in 
color with those of P. concinna. In fact the chief variation 
' apart from height and length, is in the coloration of the head. 
in the present species this is dark brown with black stripe inter- 
mediate. There is little significance in its name. Length 
8.5 inches. - 
Pitta rufiventris from Gilolo and Batchian, is smaller than 
the preceding by at least an inch. Above green is the prevail- 
ing tint but of a paler cast. Blue as in the foregoing, the black 
being distributed in the same way also with the customary 
white speculum. Head and throat are rufous. — The usual 
crimson somewhat dull, appears on the belly adjoining black. 
On the breast is a wide border of blue. There is little varia- 
15 
