11)8 ■ KALLJVJE. 



I'oiphyiio smaragnotus (nee Tenim.), SijJ^es, P. Z. S. 1882, p. lOo 



(l)eccan). 

 Porphyrio hyacintliinus (nee Teimn.), Nordm. in Demid. Voy. Euss. 



Merid. iii. p. 275 (1840) ; Hodgs. Icon. ined. in Brit. Miis., Grallce, 



pi. 117 (no: .562) ; id. in Grciifs Zool. Misc. p. m (1844). 

 Poiphyrio indicus {nee Horsf.), Gray, List Grallce etc. Brit. Mus. 



p. 120 (1844) ; id. Gen. B. iii. p. 598 (1845); id. List Mamm. etc. 



Nepcd pres. Hodys. p. 143 (1846). 

 Porpliyrio neglectus, Schl. Mus. I'ays-Bas, Ralli, p. 53 (1865) ; Graj/, 



Haiid-l. B. iii. p. 64, no. 10477 (1871) ; Hume, Nests 8r Eggs Ind. 



B. p. 694 (1873); id. Sir. F. i. pp. 125, 136, 249 (1873: Sind) ; 



id. op. cit. ii. p. 483 (1874 : Yeaboo) ; id. op. cit. iii. p. 185 (1875 : 



Pegu) ; Bkmf. East. Pers. ii. p. 289 (1876 : Bagdad). 

 Porphyrio veterum, liadde, Orn. Cave. pp. 40, 380, pi. xxi. figs. 3, 4, 



pi. xxiv. (1884) ; 8cl. Has, 1885, p. Ill, 1886, p. 521. 

 Porphyrio cferuleus (wee VandelU), Seeb. Ibis, 1882, p. 227 (Astra- 



chan), 1883, p. 27 (Caucasus). 



Adult male. General colour above purplish blue, the wings 

 brighter and more greenish blue ; intiermost secondaries slightly 

 washed with green ; tail-feathers blackish, externally washed with 

 blue ; hinder crown and nape purplish blue like the hind neck, but 

 a little more dusky ; region of the eye ashy ; sides of face, throat, 

 fore neck, and chest vivid greenish blue ; entire breast, sides of 

 body, and flanks bright purjilish blue ; thighs dull greenish blue ; 

 under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries dark 

 greenish blue, the greater series and the lower primary-coverts 

 blacldsh like the quill-lining : " anterior half of bill dull red, the 

 basal half and the whole culmen nearly to the tip blood-red ; 

 round the nostrils white ; central portion of the frontal shield deep 

 red, the edges brighter red ; eyelids plumbeous ; legs and toes 

 red, the joints more or less brown ; claws dark horn-colour " {E. W. 

 Oaies); "iris red '' ( TF. V. Legge). Total length 18 inches, bill 

 and frontal shield 2-6, wing 9"9, tail 3'6, tarsus 3"4, middle toe and 

 claw 4*65. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length 

 17 inches, culmen and frontal shield 2-5, wing 9*2, tail 3*7, tarsus 

 3*4, middle toe and claw 4-5. 



In the majority of specimens of this species the sides of the face, 

 throat, hinder crown, and nape are ashy grey, with a little blue on 

 the face. This ashy-grey colour on the head and neck I believe to 

 be caused by the abrasion and wearing of the feathers. 



Young. Covered with greyish down, the feathers as they appear 

 resembling those of the adult ; abdomen Avhitish. 



After the first moult young birds resemble the adult, but are not 

 so brilliant in colour, and have the lower breast and abdomen ashy 

 grey. 



Many specimens killed in the breeding season have greyish or 

 isabelline margins to the feathers, which may be peculiar to the 

 full plumage or may be a mark of the young birds of the previous 

 year. 



