.")(). I'OHIMIVHlu. 205 



l)iiokcd J'orplijii-io is ap])roaclied by some of the browiicr-backed 

 individuals of /'. xtiutragduius from the I'iji Islands. 

 Ildh. Sainoaii Islands. 



Rev. J. T^. Stair [P.]. 



(ioiild (.'oil. 



Rev. .1. S. Whitmee [C.]. 



Purcha^^ed. 



Sir E. Belcher [P.]. 



12. Porphyrio melanonotus. 



Porplivrio nielaiiotus, Ti'inm. Man. (TOrn. ii. p. 701 (1820); Gran, 

 List (iralhe Brit. Mu.<. p. li'l (1844); id. Gen. B. iii. p. 598 

 (184.J); Gould, n. Aiidr. vi. pi. (>i) (1848); Reichenb. loV/. Seu- 

 hnll. p. 1>41 (18-jO) ; id. Handb., Fidirarice, tab. cix. fig. 1100 '( 18.">2) ; 

 I'clz. Sitz. k. Ahad. Wien, xli. p. ;]l!) (1860: Norfolk Isl.) ; Grat/, 

 Ibis, 1802, p. 240; Gould, Handb. B. Au.str. ii. j). .321 (18Go) ; 

 Schl. i)/«.s-. Pr/ys- /?«.«, Kalli, p. o7 (I860) ; Graif, Hand-l. B. iii. 

 p. (U, no. 10478 (1871); Buller, B. X. Zeal. p. 18-) (1873); 

 Batnsaji, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 343 ; Casfeln. Sf Rams. Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 K. S. If. i. p. .■)8 "i (1877 : Gulf of Carpentaria) ; Ramsaii, np. cit. 

 ii. p._r.»!) a878) ; Fmsi^h, Ibis, 1882, p. 400 ; Crowfoot, Ibis, 1882, 

 p. 270 (Norfolk Island) ; Ram-'iuy, Proc. Linii. 80c. N. S. (r. vii. 

 p. 88 (1883: Lord Howe Isl.); Finsch, Vog. der Siidsee, p. 44 

 (1884); Ramsa;/, Tab. List Au.itr. B. p. 21 (1888); Etheridffe, 

 Lord Home M. "p. 17 (1889) ; North, Proc. Linn. 80c. N. S. IF. (2) 

 iii. p. 1779 (1SS9 : Cumberland Ui.strict) ; Co.v ^- Hamilt. op. cit. 

 (4) p. 421 (ls90 : Mudgee District) ; Xortk, Xesfs 4- Et/gs Aiistr. 

 B. p. 323 (IMlO). 



Porphvrio melanonotus, Newt. Zool. Rec. 1868, p. 104; S/iarpe, Voif. 

 Ereb. ^- Terror, A pp. j). 29 (187")) ; Me,/er, Abbild. Vo</el-Sk. pi. 38 

 (1SS3); Sliar/ie, J'oi/. H.M..S. 'Alert,' Bird.i. p. 26 (1884: Boobv 

 Island) : Hullrr, />'. Ne,r Zeal. 2nd ed. ii. p. 79, pi. 31 (1888). 



Porpiiyrio stanlevi, Rowley, Orn. Misc. i. p. .'{(i. pi. ix. (1875). 



Porphyrio cyanocephalus, Elliot, Str. F. vii. ji. 13 (1878, e.v Vieill.)*. 



Adult. General colour above black, with a slight gloss of olive- 

 brown, including the wing-coverts and scapulars; the lesser coverts 

 jmrplish blue, the outer median coverts also slightly Mashed with 

 blue ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills black, slightly 

 washed externally with blue ; the first primary externally greyish 

 blue ; tail black ; crown of head, sides of face, and chin dusky 

 black ; whole of hind neck, sides of neck, and under surface of body 

 uniform purplish blue ; lower abdomen and thighs black, with 

 a scarcely perceptible wash of purple ; under tail-coverts white ; 

 under wing-coverts like the breast ; axillaries black, washed with 

 purplisli blue ; the lower greater coverts and lower primary-coverts 

 black, like the lining of the quills : '• frontal i)late, bill, legs, and 



* Vieillot wrote cyanophalus (N. Diet, xxviii. p. 28, 1819), which Mr. Elliot 

 alters (doubtles-s correctly) into ci/anocephalus. The back is said to be " brun- 

 noiratn'," which sonn-cly applies to /'. metaiionofns. 



