344 BIRDS or AUSTRALIA. 



of the Coburg Peninsula. It is also found in Java, and, I 

 believe, in several of the islands of the Indian Ocean. 



The stomachs of those dissected were muscular, and con- 

 tained the remains of insects of various kinds, and a large 

 proportion of sand. The bird also eats worms, slugs, and the 

 leaves of aquatic plants ; these kinds of food being obtained 

 either in the marshes or while swimming, which it can do as 

 perfectly as the Moor Hen, Gallinule and little Porzaiim. 



As the nest and eggs of this species have not yet been dis- 

 covered, they form some of the desiderata to which I would 

 call the attention of the rising ornithologists of Australia ; and 

 I can assure them that the study of the eggs will greatly 

 assist them in assigning the birds to which they belong to 

 their proper genus. 



The young differ from the adult in having only an indica- 

 tion of the marks on the face, in having the crown of the 

 head brown instead of brownish black, and the sides of the 

 neck and flanks deep buff instead of dark grey. 



Trom the base of the upper mandible to the posterior 

 angle of the eye a streak of greyish white ; from the eye to 

 the gape a broad patch of deep black; crown of the head 

 brownish black ; back of the neck, upper surface and tail 

 brownish black, each feather margined with pale reddish, 

 the latter colour becoming very conspicuous on the wing- 

 coverts and scapularies ; wings pale brown ; sides of the 

 head, neck, and breast grey ; chin and centre of the abdo- 

 men white ; flanks and under tail-coverts rufous ; upper 

 mandible reddish brown ; tomia of both mandibles tile-red ; 

 legs and feet oil-green, blotched with light ash-colour. 



Total length (S\ inches; bill 1 ; wing 3^ ; tail 2 ; tarsi If. 



