76 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



bill sea-green ; legs dirty yellow ; nails brown. Length of a male from 

 Bohol, 330; wing, 175; tail, 63; culmen from base, 37; tarsus, 65; 

 middle toe with claw, 70. Length of a male from Calayan, 305; wing, 

 178; tail, 57; culmen from base, -11; tarsus, 69; middle toe with claw, 

 73. A female from Mindoro, May 6, 1905, measures : Length, 290 ; wing, 

 165 ; tail, 53 ; culmen from base, 37 ; tarsus, 57 : middle toe with claw, 64. 



"A common bird, snared in abundance by the natives. Two sets of 

 eggs were obtained by us in Siquijor. The nest was in each case placed 

 on a slight elevation, and was a mere heap of dried leaves and grasses. 

 The ground-color of the eggs is rather a rich creamy buff. They are 

 heavily blotched and spotted with a rich light chocolate-brown, the 

 1)lotches being more numerous at the larger end, where they are often 

 confluent. A few inconspicuous lilac markings are also present. The 

 eggs measure from 40.6 to 43 in length, and from 29 to 32 in greatest 

 breadth." (Bourns and Wofxester MS.) 



Gates describes two eggs collected in Siquijor in February by the 

 Steere Expedition. "The eggs of the Philippine crake are of a broad 

 oval form, and tiiey have but little gloss. The ground is creamy white, 

 and this is spotted, streaked, and blotched, more thickly at the larger end 

 than elsewhere, with reddish brown and underlying pale purple. Two 

 examples measure respectively 41.9 by 30.9; 39.3 by 28.7." 



A nest of this species found at Balete, Mindoro, was well hidden in 

 a clump of saw-grass. It was very weakly made of dry grass and had a 

 deep cup. The single egg was heavily incubated when taken on May 20. 

 It measures 41.6 by 30.9 mm. The ground-color is pale creamy white. 

 Small spots and fine dots of reddish brown are scattered over the whole 

 shell, l)ut more numerously on the larger end where there are also two 

 large blotches of lavender. A few small lavender dots are scattered over 

 the entire surface. 



r.S. AMAURORNIS PHCENICURA (Pennant). 



WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN. 



Gallinuhi pluenicurns Pennant, Ind. Zool. (1709), 10, pi. !>. 



Amaurorms phcenicura Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1804), 23, 150; 



Hand-List (1899), 1, 100; Gates, Cat. Birds' Epjrs (]9()1), 1, 121. pL 



9, fig. 5. 

 Amauroniifi phfjcHicura Blanford. Fauna Brit. Ind. T.irds (1898), 4, 173, 



fig. 30 (head). 

 Aniauronis )th<v)iirur<t McGregor and Worcester. Hai\d-List (1900), 18 



( error ) . 



Xdlhl-ijUduk, in general use. 



Basilan (Bourns d- M'orcester, McCregor) \ Bohol { Mc(lregor) ; Bongao 

 [Evei-ett) ; Cagayan Sulu (Mc(hegor) ; Calamianes (Bourns tf Worcester) ; Celm 

 ( M(<lre(ior\ \ Marindiique (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Errretf, Martcn.t. Koch rf- 

 Schadenherg, Htecre Exp.. Bourns d ^yorcester) ; Mindoro (Bourns & ^Yorcester, 



