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ees ELLI OT I, Oustalet.

Elliot’s Pitta.

Pitta eliot?, Oustalet, Nouvelles Archives du Muséum, vol. x. Bulletin, p. 101, pl. ii, (1874).

 

Tus 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 proposed as a distinct generic title.

As might be expected in the case of a bird so recently described, nothing is known of its habits; and I
therefore content myself with translating the description given by Dr. Oustalet.

“ Feathers of the head, which are 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 math brownish, the feathers of this part of the body being brown at the base, blue in the middle,
and edged with green, the upper tail-coverts presenting the same tints. The quills a rather dark purplish
brown ; and the secondaries have their outer webs of an ashy brownish coloar. The eee are inte
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 Be ground ; the under
tail-coverts are black at the base, and pass into green or ultramarine blue at their tips. The beak is dark
reddish-brown; and the tarsus and toes are rather reddish, but are doubtless of a oe Nee
bird.” I have not seen a specimen of this species myself, but am indebted to ae 1 oe Me a
a painting of the birds taken from the specimens at the Museum in the ms ae ee
the well-known artist M. Huet, to whom also my thanks are due. 1e figures ‘

was executed b : ce
: of the size of life, and are founded upon the above-mentioned pictures of

represent the male and female,
M. Huet. ,

Mr. Elliot, the monographist of this beautiful group, has
matter of my work, for which I thank him, and not only for this

taken considerable interest and trouble in the
but for many other favours.