Irena has only been discovered in Timor and on the small island o f Samaow; while Celebes
contains Celebensis and Forsteni.
Gilolo is the habitat o f Maximus and Rufiventris, the latter also having been found in
Batchian. Gyaneus is a native o f India, found, principally, I believe, in Tenasserim and Arracan,
and also on the hills about Maulmain and Martaban; while Nepaulensis is an inhabitant of
Nepaul, Sikkim and Bhotan.
Bengalensis, more widely distributed than any other member o f the family, is found generally
throughout India from the Himalayas to Ceylon, and, according to Blyth, occasionally obtained
near Calcutta, and rarely to the east o f the Bay o f Bengal.
Australia has thus far produced two species, ranking, however, among the handsomest, viz.,
Iris, from the northern coast, and Strepitans,' from the southeastern. Vigorsi has also been
attributed to this continent, but no specimen has, so far as we know, yet been obtained there •
while„ lately Mr. Wallace found it on the Banda Islands, which is much more likely to be its
true habitat;
Nympha, always considered a Japanese species, has lately been discovered by Mr. Swinhoe
on the island o f Am oy; it may, however be a native o f Japan, but as yet no specimens have
been procured from that country.
Africa has but a solitary species to represent her in this family—Angotensis—obtained in the
vicinity o f Sierra Leone.
Mackloti and Novae-Guinea are confined to the island o f New Guinea, while Erythrogastra
and Atricapillus are found among the Philippine • Islands. Oyanonotus has only been discovered in
Ternate; Oceruleus and Bosehii in Sumatra.
Cucullaius is a native o f Malacca, Nepaul, and Assam, while Cyanura has been obtained in Java.
Mr. Wallace has procured Crassirostris on Xula Island, one o f the Moluccas, and \£Joncinnus
on the Island o f Lombock.
Rubrinucha is an inhabitant o f Bouru. It may be that some o f these species are natives
o f other localities not given above, but at present I have no information that such is the case.
Messrs. Muller and Schlegel were the first authors to attempt a synoptical list o f this family,
in the work from which I have quoted so freely. They there enumerate twenty-.two, including
them all in the genus P itta , and all o f which were good species, with the exception o f the
twenty-second, which is the B rachyurus Atricapillus under the name o f P itta Philippensis.
Gray, in his great work on the Genera o f Birds, gives thirty-one species (he also classing
them all under the genus Pitta), only twenty-one o f which are true species.
Prince Bonaparte, in his ‘‘Conspectus Generum Avium,” gives the latest and best list. He
enumerates twenty-eight, species; twenty-five composing the genus Brachyurus (all good species,
with the exception of B. M am to tm and B . which: are both synonyms of B . Bengal
i s ) , and: three that o f P itta ; but in his “ Conspectus V o t e « : ,: Auisodactylornm,” he further
increases the number of genera to six, forming them upon the differences in the color o f their
plumage, vis.: pale beneath, Oigantipitta; yellowish beneath, ted beneath, B n jtlM -
p i t ta : dark beneath, B i d i p U t a green beneath, M d a n g p itta i and for tfeosq with long p n e a t e
tails, he retains Vieillot’s genus Pitta.
These various divisions, as genera, I have not adopted; for although the color o f the plumage
may be so affiliated in different members o f a genus as- to constitute sections or homochtoous
groups, yet I cannot think that it would be a sufficient reason for establishing separate genera.
Anatomical organization should always be the main reason for generic distinction, and whenevei
this is equally applicable to various individuals (as in the present instance), it '■
should be included in the same genus, even though the co lo r . o f their .plumage might be veiy
dissimilar.
; Tile following Analytical Table will more closely deiiue the variations o f the different «peoies,
and exhibit their relations to each other:
ANALYTICAL TABLE.
Tail short, r o u n d e d , ......................................................... ..... Brachyurus.
Tail lengthened, cuneate, .................................................... P itta.
BR ACHYURUS.
FIRST GROUP.— U nderparts B uff.
B. Oceruleus.
B . Nepalensis
B. Oyanopterus.
B. Angotensis.
B. Bengalensis.
B. Vigorsii.
B. Nympha.
I. T h ro at white, upper p a rts various.
A. Breast and abdomen uniform.
1. Tail and upper coverts bine, sexes v e ry different. •
2. Tail brown, upper ta d coverts g reen : sexes differing-oMefly in th e color o f
occiput and nape. .................................................................................
B. Breast and abdomen different, la tte r red.
1 Red of abdomen not extending, in front of thighs.
a. Shoulders and grea ter wing coverts blue. . . . • • ■ ■
jS. Shoulders and one or more bands blue. • ' ' . '
y. Shoulders blue.
(1.) Tail bordered with blue, superciliary stripe whitish.
(2.) Tail bordered with green, snpersiiiary stripe yellow. ,
9. Red of abdomen extending upon th e breast. ■ ...................................................