188 Lieut. H. R. Kelham on 



short distaiicej then settled on the top of some bushes eight 

 or ten feet above the ground, a most unusual thing for one of 

 these birds to do. Tt looked most strangely out of place; so 

 I shot it in order to be sure of its identity. 



Erythra phcenicura (Penn.). 



The AVhite-breasted Water-hen, though by no means rare, 

 is not very often seen, owing to its extreme shyness ; it fre- 

 quents thick covert near water. At Singapore I occasionally 

 saw it in the hedge-rows near the lake in the Botanical 

 Gardens. 



During November 1879 I shot several specimens on Pulo- 

 Battam ; also during 1877 I got many in Perak and Larut. 

 One of the Pulo-Battam birds was 12 inches in length j beak 

 yelloAvisli green, reddish on the ridge ; legs dull green ; tarsus 

 2^ ; uj)pcr plumage dull bluish hlack with a slight green tmge ; 

 face, throat, and breast pure white ; vent and under tail- 

 coverts chestnvit. This specimen, being immature, had the 

 irides brown ; in the adult they are deep crimson. I once saw 

 one of these birds settle on the upper branches of some trees ; 

 but they were of no height, about ten or twelve feet at the 

 outside. 



PoRZANA ciNEREA, Yicill. The Small Water-Rail. 



I never came across this Rail on the mainland ; but on 

 Singapore, in certain localities, notably the Mount-Echo 

 valley, they were very plentiful, particularly during September 

 and October ; but perhaps being out Snipe-shooting a great 

 deal d\iring those months I noticed them more than at other 

 times, when I did not pass so much time in their resorts. 



My notes are as follows : — 



" Singapore, 7th October, 1879. Passed the afternoon 

 Snipe-shooting in the Mount-Echo valley, wading through 

 the swampy grass-fields knee-deep in most horrible filth' — the 

 sewage of Singapore, which is carried out from the town in 

 large wooden tubs by the Chinese coolies and emptied over 

 the fields as manure. The smell is most disgusting ; but the 

 valley being capital collecting-ground, in spite of the deep 

 wading and unsavoury odours, I frequently pay it a visit. 



