PITTA MAFORENSIS, | Schlegei.

Mafoor-Island Pitta.

Pitta nove guinee mefoorana, Schlegel, Revue Coll. Pitta Mus. Pays-Bas, p. 8 (1874).—Meyer, in Dawson

Rowley’s ‘ Ornithological Miscellany,’ pt. vil. p. 268 (1877).

 

Tus species was separated by Professor Schlegel in 1874 in his Review of the Pittas in the Leiden Museum
under the trinomial title above quoted; and he apparently regards it as nothing but a race of Pitta nove
guinee. In this conclusion I am unable to agree, as it seems to me to be a thoroughly well-marked species.
It is nearly allied to the last-mentioned bird and to Pitta rosenbergi, but is distinct from both. It is of
about the same size, and has the colour of the chest, breast, and nape of a fine glistening greenish white, as
it exists in P. nove guinee, but more extended, the green of the chest blending into green and blue on the
flanks.

Dr. Meyer did not get a Pitta on the island of Mafoor; but the Leiden Museum possesses four specimens,
killed there in January and February 1869 by Von Rosenberg. Dr. Beccari also managed to procure some

examples.

In describing the species,
has the tail-feathers more or less tip,
blue edging, the smaller upper tail-coverts of a fine metallic whitish green, and the blue of the abdomen
darker, the quills being without white spots. This constitutes, as far as I know, all that has been pub-
lished respecting the present bird. The Plate represents a pair of these birds of the natural size. They form

part of the rich collections made by Dr. Beccari in New Guinea and the islands of Geelvink Bay. They
- and to him I have once more to

were kindly lent to me by Count Salvadori during his visit to this country ;

Professor Schlegel says that the Matoor bird is similar to P. nove guinee, but
yed with dirty green, the large upper tail-coverts black, with a fine

express my great appreciation of his kindness.
Total length 62 inches, wing 51, tail 14, tarsus 1s.
ogize for the oversight by which the name maforensis instead of mafoorana was printed on the
, ake the whole impression had been printed off; and I thought it
o harmonize it with that of the Plate,

I must apol
Plate, as before I had discovered the mist
best in this instance to keep the name at the head of this article t
though I regret the /apsus calami which caused the error.

I regret that no further information should have reached me

respecting this beautiful species, which finds
In size it is much the same; but the green of the under surface 1s suffused

a near ally in P. nove guinee.

with luminous glistening green