POLIOLIMXAS. 73 



Genus POLIOLIMXAS Sharpe, 1893. 



Tarsus less than middle toe with claw and less than twice the culmen ; 

 plumage of under parts mostly white. 



64. POLIOLIMNAS CINEREUS (Vieillot). 



ASHY CRAKE. 



Porphyrio ciiiercus Vieillot, Xowv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. (1819), 28, 29. 

 Poliolimnas cinereus Sharpe, Cat. Birds. Brit. Mus. (1894), 23, 130; Hand- 

 List (1899). 1, 104; McGkecoh and Worcester. Hand-List (1906), 17. 



Basilan (Bourns ct- M'orcester, Mciiregor) ; Bohol (Mcdregor) ; Calayan (Mc- 

 (Jregur) ; Cebu {Steere, Everett, Bourns tt- Worcester) ; Dinagat (Everett) ; 

 Guimaras (i<teere Exp.) ; Leyte (Everett, titeere Exp.) ; Luzon (Bourns cC- Wor- 

 cester, Cuminfj. Whitehead, McGregor) ; Marinduque (Steere Exp.) ; Mindanao 

 (Everett, Bourns tC- Worcester) ; Mindoro (Bourns tC- Worcester, Porter) ; Xegros 

 (Bouriis d Worcester); Panay (Bourns d- Worcester); Sibuyan (McGregor) ; 

 Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns d Worcester) ; Ticao (McGregor). Oceania, Mala- 

 yan Peninsula, Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands. Burn, Australia. 



Adult (se.res alilr). — General color ahove wood-brown; scapulars, inner 

 secondaries, lower back, rump, and tail seal-brown; scapulars and inner 

 secondaries with wide sandy brown edges ; top of head ])lack or dark slate- 

 gray ; a white line from bill over eye ; a large loral space black, below 

 til is a white band separating black post-ocular space from ashy ear-coverts ; 

 lower throat, sides of neck, and sides of body ashy gray; chin, upper 

 tiiroat, thighs, and middle of breast and abdomen white ; flanks, vent, 

 and under tail-coverts sandy l)uff or clay-color; wings and tail dark brown ; 

 first primary edged with white. Iris bright red; bill yellowish brown; 

 legs brown with greenish and yellowish tints; nails brown. Length, 190 

 to 203. Three males from Bohol measure: Wing, 91 to 98 (average 95) ; 

 tail, 4o to 51 (average 48) ; exposed culmen, "33; tarsus, 36 to 39 (average 

 37.8) ; middle toe with claw, -16 to 5'i (average 4G). 



Young. — The fully feathered young resembles the adult in color pattern 

 but top of head and blackish loral band are brown and the ashy gray of 

 ear-coverts, lower throat, and sides is replaced by yellowish buff. The 

 downy young is coal-black. 



A downy young bird was collected in Calayan, October 8, 1903, and a 

 half-grown bird was. collected in Ticao, April 22, 1902. 



"Very common about lakes and fresh-water pools. Breeds abundantly 

 in the tall grass and rushes. Called by the natives "y-a-gut-yut." 

 (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 



Genus LIMXOBit:Nrs Suudevall. 1ST3. 



In colors this genus resembles liaUiun but has the middle toe with claw 

 loiii^UT than the tarsus. 



