320 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



irregular stripe of reddish brown ; on either side of the chest 

 a patch of black feathers margined with deep buff; all the 

 under surface pale buff ; wing-coverts deep buff, with a patch 

 of rich chestnut on the shoulder and a wash of the same colour 

 along the edge of the wing ; primaries slaty black ; space 

 round the eye, bill and feet yellow ; culmen nearly black ; 

 irides orange. 



The female has the head and back chestnut ; wing-coverts 

 very deep tawny, passing into chestnut on the tips of the 

 coverts and secondaries ; primaries grey, tipped with brown ; 

 tail black ; sides of the neck pale chestnut ; front of the 

 throat and the under surface white, with a stripe of tawny 

 down the middle, and a small streak of brown in the centre 

 of each feather, the brown hue predominating and forming a 

 conspicuous mark down the throat. 



Family RALLID-ffi. 



Of this family no less than sixteen species inhabit Australia, 

 and are comprised in the following genera, viz. Porphi/rio, 

 Fidica, Gallinula, Rallus, and Porzana, all of which are 

 European forms ; and Parra, Eulabeornis, and Tribonyoc : of 

 the latter, the first is common to India and the Indian 

 Islands, and the other two are confined, so far as we know, to 

 Australia. 



Genus PORPHYRIO, Brisson. 



The members of this genus are among the very largest of 

 the PaUidos, are very highly coloured birds, their prevailing 

 tints being blue or greenish blue interspersed with black, and 

 are nearly allied to the nearly extinct Nofornes of New Zea- 

 land. Species of this form are found in all the countries both 

 of the Old and New Worlds. 



