352 
Birds of Celebes: Pittidae. 
Adult. Similar to P. forste7^i^ but the green above and below darker, tbe blue on the wing- 
coverts, upper tail-coverts and rump (where it is more extended) darker, upper ab- 
domen black, the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts scarlet, primaries white, tipped 
about 20 mm broad on the about 2 mm broad on tbe inner ones — with black, 
and with tbe bases of tbe feathers black (ad. Great Sangi, 31. YIE. 93; Nat. Coll. 
— Nr. 12700). Iris brown; bill black; feet blue-grey or grey-reddish (Platen 5). 
Immature. Head above and under-parts rufous isabella-colour, almost buff on chin and 
throat, sides of the body green, breast varied with green; neck and nape blackish; 
back and mantle green, nearly as in adult; wings chiefly broccoli-brown, no silver- 
blue on the lesser coverts; tbe white on the primaries much less extended than in 
the adult, tbe first quill black, the white commencing on the inner web of the second 
(Gt. Sangi; Meyer — Nr. 1916). 
Nestling. Much more dusky than the immature bird: bead all round neck and chin black, 
throat varied with buff; upper surface dusky bottle-green; uropygium bluish; 
upper tail-coverts brighter blue; tbe white on the quills distributed as in the 
immature bird, rest of tbe quills and tail black, under-parts brownish, paler on 
abdomen, bill black, yellower towards the gape, and tbe tips of both mandibles 
yellowish: wing 92 mm; tail 25; tarsus 40; bill from nostril 11 (Great Sangi, 16. YII. 
93: Nat. Coll. — 0 12702). 
Measurements (23 adults: W. Blasius 5). Wing 102 — 111 mm; tail 34 — 45; culmen 21 — 24.5; 
tarsus 39 — 43. 
Distribution. Great Sangi (Posenberg n i, h Hoedt and v. Duivenbode 6 7, etc.). 
A fine series of 25 examples of this species obtained by Dr. Platen and 
his hunters passed into the hands of Prof. W. Blasius in 1888, who, after 
pointing out that the white on the quills is least extensive in young birds and very 
variable in extent in fully coloured individuals, remarks that P. atricapillalje^^. 
of the Philippines, one of its nearest allies, is smaller and has a very much 
lighter, almost yellowish green tint on the back and under-parts. P. muelleri (Bp.) 
of Sumatra and Borneo is lighter green above, lighter and bluer green below, 
has the lesser wing- coverts and the tail-coverts slightly more silvery and paler 
blue, the black on the abdomen less extended, and the bill, apparently, smaller. 
Whether these differences are bridged over by individual variation we have 
insufficient material to judge; if such is the case, then smigirana^ muelleri and 
the typical atricapilla should be reduced to the rank of subspecies. 
Unlike P. forsteni in Celebes the present species seems to he rather plentiful 
in Great Sangi, and it is curious that 20 of Dr. Platen’s 25 examples were 
males and only 3 adult females. Though very difficult to approach under 
ordinary circumstances, it is well known to East Indian hunters that by imitating 
the call-note the bird can be drawn almost to the muzzle of the gun. Perhaps, 
in the case of our species, the male bird answers better to the call of the hunter. 
115. PITTA OYANOPTERA T emm. 
Chinese Blue-winged Pitta. 
Pitta cyanoptera (I) Temm., PI. Col. pL 218 (1823); (II) Scbl., Vog. Ned. Ind. Pitta 1863, 
9, 32, pi. 4, fig. 1; (3) Salvad., Oat. Ucc. Borneo 1874, 235; (4) W. Bias., “Braun- 
