GROUND-FREQUENTING BIRDS 
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6. Rainbow Pitta Pitta iris Gould 
Pit'-ta— N.L., pitta, a bird: i-ris, Gk, iris, the rainbow. 
distribution. North-western Australia and Northern Territory. 
notes. Inhabits the dense bamboo jungles, mangroves, and scrubs 
near the coast, through which it runs with ease; the boldness and 
richness of its markings make it a most attractive bird. 
nest. A large, covered structure with an entrance at the side, com¬ 
posed of dead strips of bamboo leaves and other plant sheaths, loosely 
put together; built in the mangroves or in clumps of bamboo at about 
6 feet from the ground; occasionally on the ground. 
eggs. Four, creamy-white, dotted, spotted, and sparingly blotched 
with sepia and underlying markings of dull purplish-grey. Breeding- 
season: January to March. 
7. Noisy Pitta Pitta versicolor Swainson 
ver'-si-col-or— L., versicolor, different coloured. 
distribution. Eastern Australia, from Cape York to northern 
New South Wales. 
notes. Also called Dragoon-bird. Inhabits the dense brushes and 
big scrubs; very inquisitive and will answer an imitation of its call- 
notes—“Walk to work" or “Want a watch". It lives almost entirely on 
the ground, feeding on land snails, slugs, and insects. The “breaking- 
ground" is a stone or small stump, where it breaks the shells of land 
snails. 
nest. A large, dome-shaped structure with an entrance at the side, 
composed of thin sticks, twigs, and green mosses; built on the ground, 
usually between the buttresses of a fig-tree. 
eggs. Three to five, usually four, creamy-white, spotted and blotched 
with blackish-brown and underlying markings of bluish-grey. Breeding- 
season: October to December or January. 
8. Blue-breasted Pitta Pitta mackloti Temminck 
mackloti— Macklot, a Dutch traveller. 
distribution. Northern Queensland, from Cape York to Cardwell; 
also occurs in New Guinea, the Aru Islands, Malaysia, and Java. 
notes. It is a migrant, arriving in Australia about October, probably 
from New Guinea. Inhabits the dense scrubs, where it hops along the 
ground with great rapidity. Its call is a mournful whistle of two notes 
like “Wantok watch"; it is said to be a perfect ventriloquist. 
nest. A dome-shaped structure with an entrance at the side, com¬ 
posed of twigs and leaves; lined with fine, hair-like fibres. It is usually 
built on a stump or in a mass of vines as high as 8 feet from the ground. 
eggs. Three to four, creamy-white, dotted, spotted, and blotched 
with purplish-brown and underlying markings of bluish-grey. Breeding- 
season: October to December. 
