300 Mr. A.mbrose A. Lane — Field-Notes 



Maquegua River in Arauco, these localities being flooded 

 by the tide at liigh water. Owing to its retiring habits it 

 ' is not often seen, but may be frequently heard, especially 

 when night approaches. The cry is loud and remarkable; 

 I never, to my knowledge, heard the cry of the Water- Rail at 

 home, so I do not know if that is like it. It commences 

 with a deep rumbling sound ascending to a whistling shriek ; 

 this extraordinary sound is repeated two or three times, and 

 the deep rumbling gradually dies away. When I first heard 

 it I was probably within ten yards of the bird, and thought the 

 noise was made by some amphibious mammal, such as an otter, 

 until I was assured by a native that it was produced by 

 a bird. When I went down to Arauco I heard these Rails 

 often enough, sometimes dozens of them together, making a 

 noise that was audible a long way off. 



I also obtained at Pica a peculiar small variety of this 

 Rail. It was, so far as I could ascertain, of the same colour 

 in every respect and had the same cry, the only difference 

 apparent being the size. 



These Rails occurred in limited numbers in reeds or 

 bushes by the water-courses at Pica ; but the covert was so 

 thick I do not believe even a good dog could drive them into 

 view ; I was lucky in getting even one specimen, although I 

 was continually watching during my limited stay. 



94. PoRPHYRioPs MELANOPS (Vieill.). 



Po7'2)hyriops melanops, Sharpe, B. M. C. xxiii. p. 182. 



I heard of this species only about Valdivia, where it 

 occurs in the dense thicket which generally covers the 

 banks of the rivers running through forest districts. It is 

 perliaps not uncommon, but it is difficult to get birds in such 

 localities, or even to observe their habits, and I only identi- 

 fied this one specimen, though I thought I saw more. 



-f 95. Gallinula galeata. 



Gallinula galeata, Sharpe, B. M. C. xxiii. p. 180; Scl. 

 P. Z. S. 1891, p. 136. 



(Sacaya.) 



This bird is by no means uncommon in the marshes of 

 Sacaya, but is very different in its habits from the Coots. 



