20 RiCHAioxi), //(ihi'/s of Porzaiia ciiicrciceps. \^ 



young only a few days old. The birds were walking gingerly 

 about over a mat of dead grass and drift that had become lodged 

 in a bend of the creek. With my advent upon the scene the 

 parent manifested some little concern and sought shelter in a 

 dense growth of bamboo close at hand from whence it tried to 

 persuade the young to follow, but before they had fully made up 

 their minds to do so I secured two of them, and might have 

 obtained all had not the refractory nature of my dory prevented. 

 These young birds uttered a subdued peeping note, similiar to 

 that of a young chicken. Both the adult and the young had a 

 habit of thrusting the head and neck in various directions, after 

 the manner of a Pigeon, as if to obtain a better view of their 

 surroundings. 



The eggs of this species resemble very much in color those of 

 the Virginia Rail {Rallus virginianus). They are pale creamy or 

 buffy white with a slight gloss, spotted rather sparingly, but more 

 thickly at the large end, with cinnamon-rufus and lavender. The 

 longest &g^ in a series of twelve is 1.13 by 0.82 inches, the shortest 

 1.07 by 0.82 inches; the average is 1.09 by 0.83 inches. The 

 nests are placed in the grass, about one foot from the ground, and 

 are situated on ground above the normal high water mark. The 

 breeding season extends from May to September, or during the 

 rainy season, as far as my observations go. The full complement 

 of eggs is from three to five. 



The following note^ on the egg of Forzaiia albigularis^ a closely 

 allied species, may be of interest : " Pale bufif-white, sparsely 

 spotted with small red spots, axis i.i, diam. .9 "; followed by a 

 note by the collector, T. K. Salmon : " The nest is made of grass 

 stalks and bents, and is round, with a side entrance, and placed 

 amongst high grass and bushes in low swampy places, about two 

 feet above the ground or water. — T. K. S." 



In addition to the above notes on the habits, nests, and eggs 

 of Porza?ia cinereiceps, the following descriptions and synonomy 

 are added, with critical notes on other related species, and those 

 of doubtful status. 



An adult male (U. S. National Museum, No. 126286, Greytown, 



Scl. and Salv., P. Z. S., 1879, p. 546. 



