/56 



AESTS AtVn EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



gillivray, 11th January, 1864, which (158 x 1'15) are much too small 

 for the Gallinule, resembling those of a Rail, and being exactly like 

 those of Rallina tricolor. Duruig a visit to Sydney, 1885, I presented 

 Dr. Ramsay, then the Curator of the Australian Museum, with the 

 birds I shot in Gippsland, together with a pair of the eggs I collected 

 there. When the " Descriptive Catalogue of Nests and Eggs," issued 

 by that Institution appeared, it was natural that I expected to see 

 these specimens, the eggs at all events, referred to, more especially 

 as there had been a dispute about the species. But nothing was men- 

 tioned, except again to re-describe the wrong eggs for this species. 



Mr. C. French, junr., has obliged me with the following onginal 

 note of Moor Hens' and Coots' eggs in the same nest : — '' Whilst on a 

 visit to the swamp at the rear of the boat sheds at Prince's Bridge, 

 I came across a nest of the Gallinule, or Moor Hen. cunningly hid 

 among the thick reeds (Aruiuhi plirtn/inite^ ). When I approached 

 within about ten yards of the nest the GaUinulc quietly left and swam 

 away, making a screeching noise. While in the act of taking the eggs 

 from the nest, I was surprised to see, a few yards from me, one of the 

 Coots, which seemed very excited and at once commenced flapping its 

 wings and uttering its well-known harsh notes. On examining the 

 Gallinule's eggs (five), which were almost incubated, I was surprised to 

 see in the nest one egg of the Coot. About a month previous I found 

 another Galhnule's nest containing one egg and an egg of the Coot. 

 Date, 14th December, 1897." 



Usual breeding months, November to Januarv, occasionnllv later. 



587. PORPHYRIO BEIXUS, Gould. — (564) 



BLUE BALD COOT. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi., pi. 70. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vnl. xxiii., p. 202. 



Prmious Description of Eggs.— C^impheW ■ Victorian Naturalist 

 (1889). 



Geograiihiml Distrihutioti. — West and North-west Australia. 



Neat. — Similar to that of the Common Bald Coot fP. melnnonoHis). 

 constructed of aquatic plants, and situated in a swamp. 



f'^'.i;/'^- — Clutch, five (about) ; stout oval in shape ; texture of shell 

 somcwJiat coarse ; .surface glos.sy ; colour, deep-stone, fairly blotched 

 aiid spotted with brown and jnirplish-brown of different shades. 

 Dimensions in inches of three examples : (1) 2-3 x 1-65 (2) 2-22 x I'oO 

 (3) 2-2 X 1-65. 



Ohxervations. — This exceedingly li.indsomc swamp bird is the 

 western representative of the conimon Bald Coot, being found probably 



