PITTA MAXIMA, müh. Sf Schi.
Great Pitta.
Pitta mamma, Mai. & Schl. Verhf Nat. Gesch. Ned. lud. Zopi. p. 14.-Westerm. Bijdr. Dierk. p. 45, Pitta,
pl. 1.—Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 213— Wallace, Ibis, 1859, p. 112, 1860, p. 197—Schl. Vog. Nederl. lud!
Pitta, p. 30.—Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 296,
Brachyurus maximus, Bp. Consp. i. p. 253.—Elio t, Monogr. Pittidaj, pl. 12.
Gigantipitta maceima, Bp. Consp. Vol. Anisod. p. 7.
Pitta gigas, Wallace, Malay Arch. ii. p. 3.
T here are several species o f Ant-Thrushes which are nearly, if not quite, equal to the present bird in size;
so th at the specific name o f mamma would be by no means justified, if naturalists were content to class all:
these birds under the heading o f genus Pitta. By many writers, however, the large Ant-Thrushes of Malaisia
and the eastern Himalayas are genetically separated as Hydrornis-, and Mr. George Robert Gray was
inclined to range the present bird under th « jam e heading. In this I cannot a g re e ; I think that it
should be kept along with the true Pitta:, o f course in the short-tailed group. Whether the latter
section should be regarded as constituting a separate genus is quite another m a tte r; I consider this
much more feasible. Throughout the present <$rk, however, I have retained these particoloured Ant-
Thrushes under the genus Pitta in preference; to -Sraefy tms, and therefore adhere to it in the present
instance.
The habitat o f this beautiful bird is the Moluccan island o f Gilolo. Very little has been recorded o f its
habits. Mr. Wallace, in his ‘ Malay A rchipelago,’ writes th at during his stay in the above-mentioned island
his boy Ali shot “ a p air o f one o f the most beautiful birds of the east—Pitta gigas, a large Ground-Thrush,
whose plumage o f velvety black above is relieved by a breast o f pure white, shoulders o f azure blue, and
belly o f vivid crimson. I t has very long and strong legs, and hops about with such activity, in the dense
tangled forest bristling with rocks, as to make it very difficult to shoot.” From the above short note o f
Mr. Wallace s we can imagine what a beautiful sight it must be to see this finely plumaged bird in its
native fo re sts; and even in a tropical island like Gilolo, where brilliantly coloured birds abound, there can be
few to compete with the subject o f our p resent article..
No description o f the bird is necessary, as it stands alone among the Pittidse, and has no near allies.
The Plate gives a correct idea o f the plumage; and the principal figure is full-sized.