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PITTA BOSCHIL, miu. e Schleg:.

Van der Bosch’s Pitta.

Pitta Boschi, Mull. et Schleg. Verh. Nat. Gesch. Ned. In
: g. Verh. Nat. Gesch. - Ind., pp. 5, 16, pl. 1.—Moore, P f
p- 273.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. Deeleeiy ee a

: uta, sp. 10.—Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds i
Mus. East-Ind. Comp., vol. i. p. 398.—Elliot, Mon. Pittide, TO lesexexoxale ee

—— elegans, Less. Voy. de la Bonite, pl. 3.—Temm. PI. Col. text.—Bonap. Consp. Gen
sp. 3.—Bonap. Consp. Vol. Anisod. 1854, p. 7. no. 201.
(Eucichla) elegans, Gray, Handl. of Birds, part 1. p. 296.

Av., vol. i. p. 256, Pitta,

 

Beautirut in coloration as are the lovely group of birds termed Pittas, the present species is certainly one
of the most charming of them. Mr. Elliot, in his Monograph of the family, restricts the generic term
Pitta to this bird and its two elegant allies (Pitta cyanura and P. Schwaner?), while Reichenbach, as long
back as the year 1850, applied to the three species the subgeneric term Ewcichla. In the present
work I have retained all these old-world Ground-Thrushes under the genus Pitta. At some future period,
when more species have become known and figured herein, I may deem it necessary to subdivide them
according to my own views or those of the various ornithologists who have paid attention to the subject: with
a view to their classification. That the three species above mentioned form a natural section, I have for
many years clearly seen. Specimens of both sexes of Pitta Boschi were brought from Sumatra by the late
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles ; and I remember I shortly after formed the intention of naming the species
Pitta Raffesi, an intention never carried out—which I now much regret, as it would have been very
pleasing to me that the bird should have borne the name of our celebrated countryman. The specimens
referred to ornamented for many years the interesting Museum of the Zoological Society of London, the
contents of which have since been scattered to the winds. Sumatra is unquestionably the native country of
this fine bird; Mr. Elliot has added that of Malacca also—I believe, on the authority of Dr. Cantor; and he
is probably correct in so doing, although, as yet, I have no positive evidence that any examples have been
sent from there. The present bird not only differs from its two immediate congeners in being more redun-
dantly coloured, but also in the female being more finely decorated than those of the other species; but,
as will be seen on reference to the opposite Plate, she wants the blue and rich cross bars of the under surface.
Most, if not all the Pittide are solitary in their habits, and frequent the innermost and sterile parts of
the forests almost too rugged for man to traverse, and which he would not venture to traverse did not his
knowledge of birds tell him that the monotonous call he hears proceeds from one of nature’s living jewels.
«Messrs. Miller and Schlegel, when writing on this species, say ‘the mission to Sumatra with which we
d in the first half of the year 1833 by the then Governor-General Baron Von der Bosch, enabled

us to increase our collection by a considerable harvest, both as regards the department of animals and that of

plants. Under obligations of gratitude toward his Excellency for the execution of our coveted enterprise, we
chose to introduce into the realm of science one of the handsomest birds discovered in the island of Sumatra

were intruste

under his venerated name.

« Pitta Boschii, as regards its size, the shape of its bill oe
ciently the Pitta cyanura; and even the distribution of colours in general indi :
close mutual relationship, and a distinction from the other members of this family. |
a, and is at present in the Leyden Museum.
bounded on each side by a broad band, which commences
and finally on the nape into fiery or reddish
, and passing round the

, and the length of its feet and tail, resembles suffi-
cates in these two species a
The only specimen seen

o

by us was shot on the south-eastern part of Sumatr

The male has the centre of the crown deep black,

with rich yellow at the nostrils, gradually passes into rich orange, ae

ack encircling the eyes, embracing the cheeks

orange; below this another band of black encircling the eyes, embracing : Lee

1 ith y ich c 7 ich orang

back of the neck; throat white, narrowly edged with yellow, which colour becomes r g oe

‘ ings cinné brown, the tips of the coverts and outer edges of the secon-

the neck ; upper surface and wings cinnamon-brown, I ; seen a
ing ith blue ; ser tail-coverts and tail deep bright blue; ut

daries margined with white slightly tinged with blue; up} é oT

1 rossed on each side of the breast with narrow crescentic Imes 0 y g

| near the vent, a patch of yellowish buff; bill black,
legs and feet fleshy-brown.

but the under surface, in lieu of the indigo-
of dark brown and dull yellow.

surface rich deep indigo blue, c
red, which nearly meet in the centre; on each side,
apparently flesh-colour on the base of the under mandible ;

The female is coloured like the male on the upper surface 3

: ; a concentric limes
blue and red lines, is crossed from the throat by narrow concentric

The figures represent the two sexes, of the natural size.

 

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