1894.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 143 



In this genus I have placed the majority of the smaller Rails, 

 which may be arranged in several subgenera: (1) Ponana with one 

 species (P. porzana). (2) Zapornia with five distinct species (P. 

 novce-hollandi(£, quadristrigata, tabuensis, pusilla and palustris^ and 

 several others which are perhaps only to be regarded as subspecies. 

 Additional species or subspecies may have to be recognized in this 

 group when a large amount of material is examined, but in that case 

 some of the names here included in the synonymy ^nll have to be 

 revived. (3) Creeopsis, a group of African species, including P. 

 marginalis Peters and some allied forms. (4) Cotuniicops, includ- 

 ing two species P. exquisita and P. ayresi. The type of this 

 subgenus is P. novehoracensis Gm. , an American species. 



The other species of Porzana I have not been able to examine and 

 am uncertain as to their arrangement. P. akool, modesfa and bicolor 

 seem from the descriptions to be very different birds from the other 

 Porzanae and may have to be placed in a distinct genus. P. moluc- 

 cana of Wallace may not be a Porzana at all, as the description is 

 too meagre to show what its relationship really is. P. rufigenis des- 

 cribed at the same time seems to be a Euryzona. 



a. PORZANA. 

 Porzana porzana (Linn.). 



Pallus jiorzana Linn., S. N. ed 12, I, p. 262 ; 1766. 



Orfygometra maruetta Leach, Gould, Bds. of Europe. 

 Hab. Europe. 



Porzana novae-hollandiae Cuv. 



Porzana novce-hollandice Cuv. 



Porzana fluminea Gould, P. Z. S., 1842, p. 139. 



Hab. Australia and Tasmania. 



b. ZAPORNIA. 

 Porzana quadristrigata (Horsf. ) 



Rallus quadristrigata Horsf, Linn. Trans., XIII, p. 196 (Java), 



Ball us tanensis Forat. Descr. Anim., 1844, p. 275 (Tanna). 



Pall us leucophi-ys Gou\d, P. Z. S., 1847, p. 33 (Australia). 



GaUinida leucosoma Sw., Anim. in Menag., p. 348 (India). 



Zaporinasandwichensis^eich., Icon. Col., t. 204, f. 1184-85 (nee 

 Rallus sandwichensis Gm. ). 



" Gallimda mystacina Mus. Paris," Inedit. fide Schlegel. 



" Gallinula supercUiosa Temm.," Inedit. fide Schlegel. 



Hab. Java to Australia, etc, 



Rallus cinereus Vieill. which is often quoted for this bird, applies 

 to a South American species. 



