_Scytalopus_ (8 sp.), Chili and West Patagonia to the Andes of Columbia; _Merulaxis_ (1 sp.), South-east Brazil; _Rhinocrypta_ (2 sp.), Northern Patagonia and La Plata; _Lioscelis_ (1 sp.), Madeira valley; _Pteroptochus_ (2 sp.), Chili; _Hylactes_ (3 sp.), Western Patagonia and Chili; _Acropternis_ (1 sp.), Andes of Ecuador and Columbia; _Triptorhinus_ (1 sp.), Chili. FAMILY 47.--PITTIDÆ. (4 Genera, 40 Species.) GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. __________________________________/\__________________________________ / \ NEOTROPICAL| NEARCTIC |PALÆARCTIC | ETHIOPIAN | ORIENTAL | AUSTRALIAN SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS. -----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+------------ | | | | | -- -- -- --|-- -- -- --|-- -- -- 4 |-- 2 -- -- |1. 2. 3. 4 |1. 2 -- -- | | | | | The Pittas comprise a number of beautifully-coloured Thrush-like birds, which, although confined to the Old World, are more nearly allied to the South American Pteroptochidæ than to any other family. They are most abundant in the Malay Archipelago, {298}between the Oriental and Australian divisions of which they are pretty equally divided. They seem, however, to attain their maximum of beauty and variety in the large islands of Borneo and Sumatra; from whence they diminish in numbers in every direction till we find single species only in North China, West Africa, and Australia, The genera here adopted are the following:-- (1087 1088 1090 1092 1093) _Pitta_ (33 sp.), has the range of the family; (1089) _Hydrornis_ (3 sp.), Himalayas and Malaya; _Eucichla_ (3 sp.), Malaya; _Melampitta_ (1 sp.), recently discovered in New Guinea. FAMILY 48.--PAICTIDÆ. (1 Genus, 2 Species.) GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. __________________________________/\__________________________________ / \ NEOTROPICAL| NEARCTIC |PALÆARCTIC | ETHIOPIAN | ORIENTAL | AUSTRALIAN SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS. -----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+------------ | | | | | -- -- -- --|-- -- -- --|-- -- -- --|-- -- -- 4 |-- -- -- --|-- -- -- -- | | | | | This family was established by Professor Sundevall, for an anomalous bird of Madagascar, which he believes to have some affinity for the American Formicariidæ, but which perhaps comes best near the Pittas. The only genus is _Philepitta_, containing two species. FAMILY 49.--MENURIDÆ. (1 Genus, 2 Species.)