GRALLATORES. 343 



Genus ERYTHRA, Reichenbach. 



In accordance with the views of Professor Reichenbach, I 

 adopt the above generic term for this singularly marked Rail. 

 It is the only species I have seen from Australia. I believe 

 another species is found in the Indian Islands, and that the 

 synonyms assigned to it by Mr. G. R. Gray in his ' Catalogue 

 of the Birds of the Tropical Islands,' in the British Museum, 

 will require modification. 



Sp. 576. ERYTHRA QUADRISTRIGATA. 



White-eyebrowed Water Crake. 



Rallus quadristrigatus, Horsf. Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 196. 



quadristriatus, Licht. 



Gallinula my st acinus, Temm. ? 



Porzana leucophrys, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xv. p. 33. 



Erythra leucophrys, Bonap. Compt. Rend, de PAcad. Sci., torn, xliii. 



seances des 15 et 22 Sept. 1856. 

 Al-man-d!u-ar-ga, Aborigines of Port Essiugton. 



Porzana leucophrys, Goiild, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi. pi. 81. 



This species is an inhabitant of the northern parts of Au- 

 stralia, where it frequents the thick clumps of mangrove roots 

 bordering the lakes. It is a somewhat familiar bird, and is 

 but little disturbed by the approach of an intruder ; on the 

 contrary, it will frequently run up a branch, turn round, gaze 

 at him, and utter its very singular loud and chattering cutche, 

 cutche, with but little apparent alarm. Occasionally several are 

 heard in chorus, as if attempting to excel each other in noise. 

 It is by no means difficult to obtain specimens, except when 

 the water is too deep to admit of wading round the roots of 

 the mangroves. As yet it has only been observed on one 

 lake near Port Essington ; but as the natives are perfectly ac- 

 quainted with it, it is doubtless abundant on some other part 



