400 REVIEW OF JAPANESE BIRDS. 



[Porzana paykulU (Ljuugli).] 



1813.— iZaHus paykulli Ljungh^ Sv. Vet. Akad. Handl., 1813 (p. 258).— Ballina p. 



Hume, Stray Feathers, viii, 1879, p. 406. 

 ia63.—Crex erythroihorax Radde, Raise Sud. Ost- Sib., ii (p. 309) {neo Temm. & 



Scat..). —RaUin a c.'Taczan., Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1876, p. 260. 

 I870.—Porza)ia mandaruia SwiNHOE, Auu. Mag. Nat. Hist., 4th ser., v, p. 173. 



This species has been found in China by Swinhoe and David ; in 

 Malacca by Hume, and the British Museum is said to possess specimens 

 both from Batavia — whence came the type of payTculli — and Malacca. 

 In the north it has been collected in Ussuri and Dauria by the Russian 

 travelers. It is therefore probable that some day it will be found in 

 Japan also. 



As to thf name, I refer to Hume's paper in " Stray Feathers," quoted 

 above. It is very important, however, that Malacca specimens should 

 be compared with northern ones. 



Professor Bogdanow (Consp. Av. Imp. Ross., i, p. 52) states that this 

 species is nearly related to the European Crex erex {Crex pratensis 

 Bechst.) and refers it to that genus. Having no access to specimens, 

 I have left it in the genus in which it is most generally placed.* 



For the same reason I here reproduce the original description by 

 Mr. R. Swinhoe (Ann. Mag. Kat. Hist., 4th ser., v, pp. 173-174): 



<? ad.— Canton River, China; collected ly Mr. S. Bligh, in spring .—Cvoww, hind 

 neck, and upper parts deep brownish olive, ruddy on the forehead. Throat pure 

 white. Eyebrow, the whole face, neck, and breast to the middle of the belly fer- 

 ruginous chestnut, mixed on the last with white. Belly, axillaries, and under tail- 

 coverts light black banded with white ; tibial feathers pure white. Quills and tail 

 olive-brown, the outer feathers of the former with its outer web white ; feathers of 

 the wing-coverts marked with narrow waves of white with brown lower edgings. 

 Bill olive-green, yellow at tip of lower mandible. Irides light brownish crimson. 

 Legs ochreous yellow tinged with green ; claws browner. 



Length about 9 inches [2291"°] ; ^ing 5.1 [ISO"""] ; tail 2.4 [61°^'^'] of eight soft 

 slightly graduated feathers ; bill to gape 1.2 [SO"""!], to forehead .9 [23"""], depth 

 at base .35 [9™"^] ; bare part of tibia .5 [13™""]; tarse 1.6 [41'"™J ; middle toe 1.6 

 [41'°°'], its claw .3 [8°'™]. 



Later on Mr. Swinhoe himself obtained several fresh specimens at 

 Chefoo during May and June, of which he gives the following descrip- 

 tion (Ibis, 1875, p. 136) : 



Adult m«7e.— Bill bluish gray, blackish on culmen and about tip, pea-green about 

 base ; inside of mouth flesh-color ; ins crimson, eyelid red ; legs and toes salmon- 

 color, brownish on under surface of tarse, on the toes and on their soles. Tibia bare 

 for .8 inch [20™'°] ; tarsi 1.6 [41'°'°] ; middle toe and claw 1.75 [44°"°] ; bill in front 

 1 [25.4"°'], to gape 1.12 [28'°°'], depth at base .48 [12°'°']. Total length 9.25 [235'"°'] ; 

 wing 5 [127'°™], .5 [13°'™] longer than tertiaries, .8 [20™°'] from tip of tail ; first quill 



1 in. [25. 4°"°] shorter than the second and third, which are equal and longest ; tail 



2 [51™°'], rounded, often sottish feathers, outer rectrix .4 [10™™] the shortest ; under 

 tail-coverts .1 [2.5™™] short of tail-tip, upper tail-coverts .8 [20™™] short of same. 



*I would remark, however, that it appears from the measurements given by 

 Swinhoe, that the proportions of the two l)irds are somewhat different. Crex has the 

 middle toe with claw shorter than tarsus, while in the present species the tareua is 

 shorter than the middle toe with claw. 



