1 86 rambles of a naturalist. 



134. Green-backed Porphyrio, 



PorpJiyrio smaragdonottis, Tern. ; P. cegyptiaciis, Heugl. ; 



P. JiyaciiitJiiniis, Brehm, jun, nee Temm. ; 



P. cldoronotiis, Brehm. 



(PoLile de Ris, Hasselquist) ; " Dick sultani." 



We made the acquauitance of this fine bird at the 

 Faioum, where it was frequently to be seen stalking about 

 among the reeds at the mouth of the Bar-El-Wady canal. 

 M. Filliponi informs me that they were once common at 

 Damietta, but now are rare. He writes: — "Vers le 1856, 

 chaque chasseur Arabe pourrait en tuer jusqu'a 30 par 

 jour" {in. lift.). 



They appear to have been common there in Hasselquist's 

 time (175 1), under the name of Poule de Ris* He says : — 



" This is of the Hen tribe. * - * * They 



come in May and the following months, taking up their quarters in 

 the rice fields" (Engl. Trans., p. 211). 



Von Heuglin says very much the same of his P. cegyptia- 

 ciis, which Finsch and Hartlaub and Schlegel unite with 

 P. smaragdonotiis; — 



" Common the whole summer in Lower Egypt, especially in the 

 lake of Elku, Damietta, in the rice fields. If I rightly remember 

 it is not there in winter" (Syst. Uebers, p. 65). 



I doubt however its being exclusively a summer migrant. 



Dr. R. Hartmann met with it at Mareotis (J. f. O., 1863, 

 p. 231). 



Chaptain Shelley describes his specimen under the name 

 of P. hyacinthimis as having the back and scapulars green 

 like mine. It remains to be seen whether the true P. hya- 



'■* Sonini has an interesting note on this bird, ("Travels in Egypt," 

 II , p. 57) and mentions that it is called the Poule de Ris. 



