KUCICHLA SCHWANERI.

Schwaner’s Pitta.

Pitta schwanert, Temm. in Leyden Museum.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 256.—Id. Consp. Voluc. Anisod.
1854, p. 7. no. 200.—Elliot, Mon. of Pittidee, pl. xxx.—Salvad. Ucc. Born., p. 244.—Gould, Birds of
Asia, part 15.

 

Or the five nearly allied species Pitta cyanura, P. bosch, P. schwanert, P. gurneyi, and P. elhoti, the last-
mentioned is the rarest. In point of beauty it is just intermediate between two others; for while it
wants the fiery and blue chest-markings of P. boschi it excels the P. cyanura in the rich blue of the centre
of its abdomen. The native country of this fine bird is the island of Borneo, where it was found by Schwaner
and Motley near Banjarmassing ; and it has since been discovered in North-western Borneo by Mr. Hugh
Low, and Governor Ussher and Mr. Treacher met with the species on the Lawas river. The accompanying
Plate illustrates both sexes as accurately as may be; but to do more than approximate to the colouring of
these birds is out of the question—their tints being lovely in the extreme, and their iridescent hues so
surpassingly beautiful as to be inimitable in a drawing.

The male has the crown of the head, lores, a broad stripe from the base of the lower mandible, and
the occiput deep black, passing into rich blue where it joins the deep cinnamon-brown of the upper surface ;
over each eye a broad stripe of the richest gamboge-yellow ; wing-coverts black, with a large oblong mark
of white at the tip of the outer web of each feather; primaries and secondaries black ; two or three of the
central secondaries narrowly edged with white, within which is a tinge of blue near the tip; chin white,
passing into rich gamboge-yellow below, and into a still richer tint of the same colour on the sides of the
neck ; below the throat-gorget, the breast and flanks
and broader bands of gamboge-yellow, terminating on the fl
upper and under tail-coverts and tail rich deep blue, glossed with lighter

are alternately barred with narrow bands of deep blue
anks in a conspicuous patch of fine yellow;

centre of the abdomen deep blue ;
blue on the margins of the feathers.
The female has the crown of the head, lores

rich orange-yellow ; throat dull white, washed w
e more distinct, but of a much paler hue: in all other respects

, and stripe through the eye dull black ; stripe over the eye
ith orange, which deepens on the sides of the neck ;

primaries brown ; bands of the under surfac

very similar to the male.
The Plate represents the two sexes, of the size of life.

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