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PITTA CYANURA.
Blue-tailed Pitta.

Turdus cyanurus, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 828.—Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i 36}
Fe . . r i bi i . mWOe 4AUL1. . 9 i . Me, p. rj ) Le
Mytothera affinis, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc., vol. xiii oe
, Soe, - xl. p. 154.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iii GGeltace os:
tom. i. p. 244. » VOL. 1. p. 66.—Less. Man. d’Orn.,

cyanura, Cuy. Regne Anim. 1817, vol. i. p. 357

Pitta cyanura, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., tom. i. p. 246, pl. 153.—Less. Traité @’Orn , p. 394.—Vig. App. Mem. Raffles
O SOS ks meV Utes eae, . dates,

p- 659.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 213.—Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc
Calcutta, p. 159.—Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Kast Ind. Comp., vol. i. Ee 183 LS en
in Proc. Zool. Soc., part xiv. p. 100.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 256, Pitta, sp. acs
Volue. Anis. 1857, p. 7.—Miill. and Schleg. Verh. Nat. Gesch. Ned. peas 3.—Elliot, Mon. of Pit
tidee, pl. xxix

Punglor, Java, Horsfield.

Sintar, Sumatra, Raffles.

Manok Paok, Sudanese, Miill. and Schleeel.

 

Or the numerous members of the present very beautiful family of birds, the comparatively common Petta
cyanura must be regarded as one of the most elegant; it is also one of the few species respecting which any
information has been placed on record. ‘The following interesting account of the bird, its. habits and
economy, is taken from the recently published ‘Monograph of the Pittide,’ by Mr. D. G. Elliot of New
York, a gentleman deserving the praise of all ornithologists for his labours in their own branch of science :—

“This species,” say MM. Miiler and Schlegel, ‘which has hitherto been but seldom met with in Java, 1s
known to the Sudanese in the western part of the island under the name of Manok Paok, while, according
to Dr. Horsfield, it is by the real Javanese in the eastern section of the island called Punglor. The first
appellation is derived from its cry, which consists of a pretty loud and deep whistling—a kind of shriek,
which the males utter at frequent intervals during the morning hours.

“The Pitta cyanura is a mountain-bird, and is but seldom met with in level wooded regions, but is most
often seen on old coffee-plantations and in places closely overgrown with shrubbery and seeds, at a height
of from 600 to 3000 feet above the level of the sea. It is found usually in the gloomiest spots, and generally
on or near the ground.

“Tt runs very fast, often stopping short for a few moments after each quick forward movement, with either
its head bent downward, as if gazing on the ground, or else raised so as to look all around.

“They are often met with a pairs, and frequently also singly. Whenever several birds are together, say
five or six, they are invariably in such cases one family, of which the young have but lately left the nest, and
for a certain period still remain with the old. When two old males meet, they often fight with each other
in the same manner as the Quail and other quarrelsome birds do which are in the habit of dwelling on the
ground: as with those species, the time for these battles among the Pulte cyanure is generally shortly before
their breeding-season, the appointed time for which seems to be from January to May oo

“Upon one occasion we discovered near Mount Parang, in the Parang Regencies, a nest of this bird, on

the 4th of February, which, like another brought to us a few wee
h of March, on the western slope of Mount Pangerango ; and finally

ks later, contained five eggs; a third nest

with four eggs we found during the mont a ae
a fourth, with an equal number of eggs, we succeeded in obtaining at the beginning of April. = 1s
é 5 or ardly ever more than from 6 to 8 feet. It Is
“The nest is generally built a little above the ground, hardly ever more ine ,
h branches of the parasitic orchids growing on the

most often placed in a secluded spot among the toug :
amp and mouldy throughout, it

trunk of some old tree. These closely grown plants being frequently d ee
' es T nee +s constructed without art, bu
follows that occasionally the nest becomes soaked through from beneath. It is constt ucte a é 2

occasionally interwoven with straws and dried bits of reeds. ie

with some solidity, of dry leaves and roots,
. cc. come the nearest to those of the

those of European birds,

egos, four or five in number, compared with
riod deviations as regards colour. The reddish-

Oriolus Galbula, but are of a less oval shape, and subject to many
- marbled c
In some cases the colourmg 1s so pale and in-
the shape also differs occasionally, some

brown and black points and spots, with the brighter olouring frequently observed between the
spots, accumulate mostly near the larger end of the egg.
distinct that the egg has the appearance of being of a dull white ;
being oval, others of a more rounded form. 4 ons coe cae on

“On the whole, the Pitta cyanura is not of very shy habits, ae a : ae free, rapid flight, tale
it is not easy to get a shot. When chased, they fly along the grou = ae Be aan fhe buanchon
refuge at various distances, and alight either near the ground on a projecting stun]

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