THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 115 



218 lonornis martinica (Linnaeus). 

 Purple Gallinule. 



Adults. — Length, 13-14. Wing, 7-7.50. Head, neck and under parts, bluish- 

 purple ; back and wings, bright green, shading into verditer blue on the neck 

 and coverts ; crissum, white ; bill, red, with a yellow tip. 



Very rare straggler from the south. 



Cassin states^ that the Purple Gallinule occurs occasionally north 

 to New Jersey, and Turn bull records one shot by John Krider at 

 League Island, in the Delaware. Dr. Abbott (1868) also states that 

 one was taken at Trenton November 2d, 1861. More recent records 

 are as follows: 



Cape May; May, 1892. C. F. Gardner (C. A. Voelker).- 



Tuckerton; prior to 1894. Jillson Brothers (several). - 



Longport; May 23d, 1898. W.H.Werner. 



Ventnor; May, 1902. W. H. Werner. 



Cape May; May 10th, 1907. H. W. Hand. 



Beach Haven: May 10th, 1907. C. W. Beck.^ 



219 Gallinula galeata (Lichtenstein). 

 Florida Gallinule. 



PLATE 17. 



Adults. — Length, 12-14.50. Wing, 6.85-7.25. Similar in coloration to the 

 Coot, but the gray-tint is bluer ; the back is browner, and there are a few white 

 stripes on the flanks ; bill, red, tipped with yellow ; shield, red. 



Nest in wet swamps, supported among cat-tails and rushes ; eggs, eight to 

 twelve, 1.75x1.20. 



Regular summer resident in the Newark marshes and the marshes 

 of the Delaware. 



This bird is an excellent example of the secretiveness of birds of 

 this family. It was unknown as a New Jersey bird to the older orni- 

 thologists, and while Turnbull calls it a summer visitant, he calls it 



' Birds of N. A., p. 753. 



= Stone, Birds of E. Pa. and N. J. 



' Coll. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila. 



