EUCICHLA ELLIOTI. 
Elliot’s Pitta. 
Pitta ellioti, Oustalet, Nouvelles Archives du Museum, vol. x. Bulletin, p. 101, pi. ii. (1874). — Gould, Birds of 
Asia, part 31 (1879). 
The present species is represented by specimens of both sexes in the Paris Museum ; and no other collection 
can at present boast of the possession of this beautiful and unique bird. Its home appears to be the 
interior of Cochin China, a country concerning the ornithology of which scarcely any thing has yet been 
written, but one which, if we may judge from the little we do know, would yield a rich increase to our 
knowledge of Asiatic zoology. Situated as it is, there can be no doubt that Cochin China must receive a 
considerable Influx of the winter migrants from China, while its indigenous avifauna, if we may make a 
deduction from the few species recorded, must consist of a mixture of Indian, Chinese, and even Malayan 
forms. With regard to the latter we may remark that the present species alone is sufficient to establish a 
Malayan element as existing in Cochin China ; for Elliot’s Pitta is not allied to any of the known Chinese 
members of the genus, but belongs to that section, with longish tails and a generally blue coloration, for 
which the term Eucichla has been ])roposed as a distinct generic title. 
As might be expected in tbc case of a bird so recently described, notbing Is known of its habits ; and I 
therefore content myself with translating the description given by Dr. Oustalet. 
“Feathers of the head, which arc elongated behind so as to form a sort of crest, emerald-blue, more 
glistening on the forehead and eyebrow than on the crown. A black band, starting from the nostrils, passes 
on each side below the eye, and ends abruptly near the nape. The back is ultramarine blue, shaded with 
green and with brownish, the feathers of this part of the body being brown at the base, blue in tbe middle, 
and edged with green, the upper tail-coverts presenting the same tints. The quills are rather dark purplish 
brown ; and the secondaries have their outer webs of an ashy brownish colour. The tail-feathers are 
intense ultramarine blue, at least on the external webs, the inner webs being more or less shaded with 
green. The throat is very clear blue passing into whitish, the breast of an ashy-green colour. A band of 
very dark bluish from the lower breast ends between the legs ; the flanks and region of the vent are 
ornamented with black transverse bands, rather numerous, which are clearly defined on a yellow ground ; 
the under tail-coverts are black at tbe base, and pass into green or ultramarine blue at tbeir tips. The 
beak is dark reddish brown ; and the tarsus and toes are rather reddish, but are doubtless of a darker 
colour in the living bird.” 
I have not seen a specimen of this species myself, but am indebted to Professor Milne-Edwards for a 
painting of the birds taken from the specimens in -the Museum of the Jardin des Plantes. The painting 
was executed by the well-known artist M. Huet (to whom also my thanks are due), and upon it are 
founded the figures iji the Plate repre.senting the male and female, of the size of life. 
