Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/409

Rh A young bird shot by Mr. Davison had the legs, feet, and claws pale lavender ; the bill black ; the gape and a spot at the base and tip of both mandibles orange-verniilion.

Length 7; tail 1/6 ; wing 3*5 ; tarsus 1*5 ; bill from gape 1*05.

Distribution. Tenasseriin, at the foot of Nwalabo mountain, extending down the Malay peninsula.

935. Pitta CUCullata. The Green-breasted Pitta.

Pitta cucullata, Hartl. Rev. Zool. 1843, p. 65; Blyth, Cat. p. 1">7 ; Horsf. * M. Cat. i, p. 399 ; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 504 ; Uavison, S. F. v, p. 457 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 243 ; Hume, Cat. no. 346 ; Oatcs, B. B. i, p. 414 ; Sclater, Cat. B. M. xiv, p. 442 ; Oates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 286.

Melanopitta cucullata (Hartl.), Hume, N. 8f E. p. 225.

Brachyurus cucullatus (Hartl.}, Elliot, Mon. Pitt. pi. xxviii ; Hume, S. F. iii, p. 109.

The Green-breasted Ground-Thrush, Jerd.; Phattim-pho, Lepch.

Coloration. The crown from the nostrils to the nape rich rufous-brown ; lores, cheeks, ear-coverts, chin, throat, and a collar sur- rounding the head black ; breast and sides of the body pale greenish blue ; the abdomen black ; lower abdomen, vent, and under tail- coverts crimson; back, scapulars, and rump dark glossy green ; upper tail-coverts and all the^smaller wing-coverts bright ultramarine-blue ; primaries black, with a large white patch on each feather ; secondaries black, with the terminal half of the outer webs edged broadly with greenish blue ; tertiaries wholly dark green ; the larger wing-coverts dull green ; tail black, tipped with blue ; under wing-coverts black.

Bill black ; inside of mouth dusky fleshy ; iris dark coffee-brown ; eyelids plumbeous ; legs and claws fleshy pink.

Length about 7*5 ; tail 1*6 ; wing 4'5 ; tarsus 1'7 ; bill from gape 1*05.

Distribution. The Himalayas from Nepal to Assam ; Tipperah ; the Khasi hills ; Manipur ; Pegu and Tenasseriin. Blyth records this species from Arrakan. It extends down the Malay peninsula.

Habits, Sfc. Breeds from April to July, making a globular nest of leaves, twigs, and fibres on the ground, and laying four eggs, which are white marked with purple and measure about 1-07 by -84.

936. Pitta gurneyi. Gumetfs Pitta.

Pitta gurneyi, Hume, S. F. iii, p. 296, pi. iii ; Hume fy Dav. S. F. vi, p. 244 ; Hume, Cat. no. 346 bis. Eucichla gurncyi (Hume), Oates, B. B. i, p. 418 ; Sclater, Cat. B. M. xiv, p. 448.

Coloration. Male. Forehead, front of the crown, lores, cheeks, ear-coverts, a stripe over the eye continued to the back of the head as a collar, breast, abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts deep black ; remainder of crown and nape bright glistening blue, the feathers