i B i B A c s i i n r im w s ^ © o r n s n u o
BRACHYURUS VIGORSII.
VIGORS’ PITTA.
P itta Brachyura. Vig, and Horsf. Trans. Linn. Societ., vol. xv. p. 218.
P itta Vigorsii. G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. i.
P itta Vigorsii. Gould. Birds o f Austral., vol. iv. pi. 2, and Introd. to B. of'Aust., (1848,) p. 54, N o. 252.
Pitta. VtgOrsii. Mull, and Scbleg. Verhand. Natuur. Geschied. Neder. Ind.
Brachyurus Vigorsii. Bon. Consp. av., (1850,) vol. i. p. 255, sp. 12.
Brachyurus Vigorsii. Bon. Consp. voluc. anisodact., (1854,) p. 7, No. 185.
Viridis: subtus ochraceus: capite nigro; vitta superciliari alba, postice pallide viridi: gula alba;
abdomine crissoque coccineis: .,tectricibüs alarüm, uropygioque caeruleis; primariis nigris, speculo albo:
cauda nigra, apice viridi. Rostro pallide brunneo, apice nigro: pedibus pallescentibus.
H abitat.— Australia.
A dult.__Head, b la ck ; a narrow stripe of yellowish green commences at the nostrils, and passing over
each eye nearly meets at the occiput; back and greater wing coverts, together with the outer edges
o f the secondaries, green; shoulders, rump, and upper-tail coverts, light b lu e; throat, white ; abdomen,
very dark red, terminating iu scarlet, which extends to the under-tail coverts; rest o f lower parts, buff;
primaries, black, w ith a white spot in the centre o f the third, fourth, fifth, and six th ; tail, black, tipped
with green; bill, brown; feet and tarsi, flesh color.
Australia is the native country of this handsome species, where, like its relative
Pitta Strepitans, it is found in the thick bushes, most frequently along the eastern and
northern coasts. It is no doubt very thrush-like in its disposition, hopping from limb to
limb, dropping at times noiselessly to the ground in quest of its food, which consists
principally of insects, with an occasional berry..
From all the information I can gather, Vigors’ Pitta seems to be rather a silent
species, and would consequently be apt to escape detection, were it not for its gay
dress, which would serve readily to discover its presence to the close observer of
nature. Like all of this family, it does not seem to be abundant in any locality, and is
a rare bird with collectors ] though no doubt, as the birds of Australia become more