EUCICHLA SCHWANERI 
Schwaner’s Pitta. 
Pitta schwaneri, Teram. in Leyden Museum. — Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av.,tom. i. p. 25G. — Id. Consp. Voluc. Anisod. 
1854, p. 7. Tio. 200. — Elliot, Mon. of Pittidse, pi. xxx. — Salvad. Ucc. Born., p. 244. — Gould, Birds of 
Asia, part 15. 
Of the five nearly allied species Pitta cyanura, P. boschi, P. schioaneri, P. gurneyi, and P. ellioti, the last- 
mentioned is the rarest. In point of beauty it is just intermediate between two others ; for while it 
wants the fiery and blue chest-markings of P. boschi it excels the P. cyanura in the rich blue of the centre 
of its abdomen. The native country of this fine bird is the island of Borneo, where it was found by Schwaner 
and Motley near Banjarmassiug ; and it has since been discovered in North-western Borneo by Mr. Hugh 
Low, and Go\ ernor Ussher and Mr. Treacher met with the s{)ecies on the Lawas river. The accompanying 
Plate illustrates both sexes as accurately as may he ; but to do more than approximate to the colouring of 
these birds is out of the question — their tints being lovely in the extreme, and their iridescent hues so 
surj)assingly beautiful as to be inimitable in a drawing. 
The male has the crown of the head, lores, a broad stripe from the base of the lower mandible, and 
the occiput deep black, passing into rich blue where it joins tlie deep cinnamon-brown of the upper surface; 
over each eye a broad stripe of the richest gamboge-yellow ; vving-coverts black, with a large oblong mark 
of white at the tip of the outer web of each feather ; primaries and secondaries black ; two or three of the 
central secondaries narrowly edged with white, within which is a tinge of blue near the tip ; chin white, 
passing into rich gamboge-yellow below, and into a still richer tint of the same colour on the sides of the 
neck ; below the throat-gorget, the breast and flanks are alternately barred with narrow bands of deep blue 
and broader hands of gamboge-yellow, terminating on the flanks in a conspicuous patch of fine yellow ; 
centre of the abdomen dee[) blue ; upper and under tail-coverts and tail rich deep blue, glossed with lighter 
blue on the margins of the feathers. 
The female has the crown of the head, lores, and stripe through the eye dull black ; stripe over the eye 
rich orange-yellow ; throat dull white, washed with orange, whicli deej)ens on the sides of the neck ; 
primaries brown ; bands of the under surface more distinct, hut of a much paler hue: in all other respects 
very similar to the male. 
Tl le Plate represents the two sexes, of the size of life. 
