345. Pitta Bengalensis, Gmel.

P. triostegus apud Blyth, Cat. 908 - Horsf., Cat. 249 - P. braehyura, Jerdon, Cat. 80 - Gould, Cent. H. B., pl. 23 – Gray and Hardw., III. Ind. Zool., II., pl. 35, f. 2 - Royle, III. Him. Bot., pi. 7, f. 3 - Nourang, Hind., i. e. nine-colored bird - Shumcha,Bene. - Pona-inki. Tel.

The Yellow-breasted Ground-thrush.

Descr.  - Head olivaceous-fulvous, with a median black stripe from the base of the bill to the back of the neck, meeting another black band that passes through the ears; a white superciliary line extending also to the nape, but not quite meeting its fellow; the whole back, rump, scapulars and wing-coverts, dull blue-green ; the lengthened upper tail-coverts pale blue; a pale azure-blue patch on the shoulder of the wing ; quills black, with a white bar on the first six primaries, and the tip of all white or albescent; secondaries blue-green on the outer margin, increasing in extent inwardly ; tail black, tipped with dull blue; beneath, the chin, throat, and the sides of the neck below the ears, white; the rest of the lower parts isabelline or fulvescent, with the middle of the lower part of the abdomen, the vent, and the under tail-coverts, scarlet.

Bill black; legs ruddy-yellow or yellowish-pink; irides hazel- brown.

Length about 7 inches ; wing 4 1/4 ; tail 1 7/10 ; bill at front 13/20 ; tarsus 1 1/2.

This prettily plumaged Ground-thrush is found throughout the whole of India, from the sub-Himalayan range to Cape Comorin. It is also found in Ceylon, but never on the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal. It is most common in forest country, but is also found occasionally in every part of the country that is tolerably wooded. In the Carnatic it chiefly occurs in the beginning of the hot weather, when the land-winds first begin to blow with violence from the west; and the birds, in many instances, appear to have been blown, by the strong wind, from the Eastern ghats, for being birds of feeble flight, they are unable to contend against the strength of the wind. At this time they take refuge in huts, outhouses, or any building that will afford them shelter. The first bird of this kind that I saw had taken refuge in the General Hospital at Madras; and, subsequently, at Nellore, I obtained many alive under the same circumstances. Layard states that in Ceylon it is migratory, coming in with the Snipe, i. e. in the beginning of the cold weather. He further remarks that it is shy and wary, resorting to tangled brakes and ill-kept native gardens. It seldom alights on trees. It is generally found single; but I have seen three or four together; and it feeds chiefly on the ground, on various coleopterous insects. It progresses by hopping, as do others of this family; and is in general a most silent bird, though it is said to have, at times, a fine loud whistling note. Its Singalese name is said to be derived from its call Avitch-i-a, pronounced slowly and distinctly. Blyth was informed that it has a screeching note. Nearly allied to this are P. cyanoptera, from Burmah; P. mataccensis, from Malapca; P. irena, T., from Timor, and some others.

The next species is placed by Bonaparte in his division, Melanocephali.