246 PHASIANID^. 



Younr/er males resemble the females, but the throat resembles 

 that of the male adult, and the black markinj^s on the nnderparts 

 are much wider and more completely fused in the median line, 

 assuming a V-shaped form. 



Hah. New Zealand (said to be nearly extinct). 



a. c? ad. sk. New Zealand. Sir G. Grey [P.]. 



b. (S nr. ad. sk. New Zealand. Percy Earl, Esq. 



[d.]. 



c. d. S imm., 5 New Zealand {A. Dnndas). Zool. Soc. Coll. 

 ad. sk. 



e, f. (S imm., 2 Port Cooper {F. Stmnr/e). Capt. Stokes, E.N. 



"ad. sk. [P.]. 



g. $ ad. sk. Port Cooper {F. Strcmr/e). Gould Coll. 



19. SYNffiCUS. 



Type. 



Synoicus, Gould, B. Austi: v. pi. 89, or pt. xii. (184.3) . . S. australis. 

 Synaecus, Aqass. Index Univermlis, p. 358 (184'3) .... S. australis. 

 Synrecus, Mull. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 280 S. australis. 



1st primary is about equal to the 4th and somewhat shorter than 

 the 3rd, which is the longest. 



Tail composed of 10 (rarely 12) feathers, feeble, rounded ; outer 

 feathers much shorter than the middle pair, which are less than 

 half the length of the wing. 



Axillarics short, grey. 



Tarsus without spurs. 



Range. Australia, New Guinea, Timor, and Flores. 



Key to the Species. 



A. Sides of the crown not mostly black ; upper parts not 



blotched with black, or with the black markings 

 present in the form of moderate bars ; shaft-stripes 

 narrower, confined to the shaft itself. {Mcdes.) 



a. Chin and throat dirty white australis, p. 247. 



b. Chin and throat dull rufous raulteni, p. 249. 



B. Sides of the crown black or mostly black ; upper 



parts coarsely blotched with black ; shaft-stripes 

 wider than the shafts themselves. {Females.) 



c. Chest pale rufous buff, barred all over with black, australis, p. 247. 



d. Chest pale, dull rufous, with black bars nearly 



obsolete raalteni, p. 249. 



The common Australian Swamp-Quail {Synoecvs australis) has 

 been divided by Gould into no less than four species, which are 

 apparently founded on differences of age or sex. As he has not 

 given comparative diagnoses, it is impossible to see from his descrip- 

 tions in what particulars his supposed species differ. He was himself 

 aware that his distinctions were weak and far from satisfactory, 



