Mr. A. Newton on a new Species of Water-hen. 417 



The back is covered witli keeled scales of moderate size, the keels 

 terminating in small spines, and forming lines which converge from 

 both sides towards the vertebral line. There are seventeen longitu- 

 dinal lines of keels across the back between the shoulder-joints and 

 fifteen between the hip-joints. The scales on the upper parts of the 

 limbs are more sharply keeled and more spiny than those on the 

 back. The tail is of moderate length, depressed on its base, and 

 slightly compressed on its middle ; it is surrounded by rings of scales, 

 which are much larger than those of the body, each terminating in a 

 prominent spine. 



The scales on the belly are rather small and smooth, disposed in 

 transverse series ; there are about twenty longitudinal scries across 

 the breast between the front limbs ; the scales on the lower parts of 

 the limbs are smooth, exce])t those on the soles of the feet and toes, 

 which again are strongly keeled. There are no femoral or anal pores. 

 Palatine teeth none. 



All the upper parts are brownish-olive ; the lower dull yellowish, 

 with indistinct greyish reticulated lines ; the region before the vent 

 is deep brown, and a band of the same colour runs along the lower 

 side of the thigh. 



in. lin. 



Length of the snout (to the anterior angle of the 



orbit) 4 



Length of the head (to the anterior margin of the 



tympanum) 10 



Greatest width of the head 8| 



Distance of the anterior angles of the orbits .... 4-2- 



Length of the trunk (from tympanum to vent) . . 2 f> 



of the tail b 



of the fore limb 1 9 



of the hind limb 2 6 



of the fourth finger (from the base of the 



fifth) 7 



of the fourth toe (from the base of the 



fifth) 1 



Totallength 8 4 



Description of a New Species of Water-Hen (Galli- 

 nula) from the Island of Mauritius. By Alfred 

 Newton, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



A small collection of birds recently sent from Mauritius by my 

 brother, Mr. Edward Newton, Assistant Colonial Secretary in that 

 island, and a Corresponding Member of this Society, contains a single 

 specimen of a Water-hen which I am led to consider as distinct from 

 the common Gal/inula chloropiis, with which it has hitherto been 

 confounded. To this conclusion I am chiefly induced by the weight 

 I attach to my brother's opinion, which is decidedly in favour of re- 

 garding it as different from our own familiar bird ; for, though it 

 must be confessed that the differences observable in the dried skin 

 are but slight, they are jierhaps not more so than are to be found in 



