RALLID^ 341 



638. Porphyrio Pulverulentus, Temm., pi. 



Col. 405; Cuv., Vol. 3, p. 414. 



Bluish-grey ; back, rump, and secondaries, olive-brown ; 

 vent white ; frontal plate produced behind the eyes ; bill and 

 feet red ; wings ashy-blue.'* 



South Africa. — Griffiths, Cuvier, loc. oit. I have not seen it from 

 South Africa, but it is a well-known Indian species ; and I fancy Cuvier 

 has mistaken the next species for it. 



639. Porphyrio Erythropus, Shaw, Vol. 12, 



p. 255 ; Fulica Porphyrio, Linn ; Oallinula Porphy- 

 rio, Lath. ; P. Madagascariensis, Lath. ; P. Smarag- 

 notus, Temm. ; 0. Poliocephala, Lath. 



Head, hind part of neck, and wing-feathers, glossy- violet ; 

 back and rump, dull gloasy-green ; cheeks, throat, fore part 

 of neck, and under part of body, violet-blue ; tail dull-green ; 

 vent-feathers pure white ; legs, bill, and frontal shield, bright- 

 crimson. Length, 17"; wing, 9"; tail, 3". 



The " Blue Gallinule " is generally distributed throughout the colony, 

 frequenting vleys and large ponds. It breeds in sirch places among 

 reeds, forming a large nest of sedge, and depositing from six to ten 

 eggs, of a ruddy-brown, spotted with dark purple-brown ; axis, 2" 2'" ; 

 diam., 1" 6'". 



Genus GALLINULA, Brisson. 



Bill moderate, with the base of the culmen more or less 

 extending on the forehead, and suddenly curved at the tip; 

 the nostrils placed in a large nasal groove, with the opening 

 near the middle of the bill ; wings moderate, with the 

 second, third, and fourth quills nearly equal and longest; 

 tail short and rounded ; tarsi strong, shorter than the middle 

 toe, and broadly scutellated in front ; toes very long, divided 

 at the base, margined throughout their length by a mem- 

 brane, and the outer longer than the inner. 



640. Gallinula Ohloropus. (Linn.) Lath., pi. 



Enl. 877 ; Fulica Fusca, Linn. ; Moorhen or Water- 

 hen, Bewick's Brit. Birds, p. 148; Gould's Birds of 

 Eur., PL 342. 



Upper parts, dull greenish-brown; under parts, dark slate- 

 colour ; head and neck darkest ; vent white ; as are also 

 some stray feathers on the flanl:s and in the centre of the 

 belly. In some specimens the slate- coloured feathers of the 



