340 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



Length 10 inches, tail 1*8, wing 4'8, tarsus 1-5, bill from gape 1*6. The 

 female is of the same size. 



The Blue-breasted Banded Rail is found over the whole Province in low 

 and marshy places. In Tenasserim Mr. Davison did not observe it south 

 of Tavoy ; but it is a bird which is easily overlooked, and it probably occurs 

 throughout Tenasserim. 



It is met with over a considerable portion of India and Ceylon, the Indo- 

 Burmese countries, South China, Siam, Cochin China, the Malay peninsula, 

 Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Philippine Islands and Celebes. The race 

 inhabiting the Andaman Islands has been separated by Mr. Hume under 

 the name of H. obscuriora. 



This Rail frequents swamps, paddy-fields, thick herbage, reed-beds and 

 other low wet localities. It seldom allows itself to be seen except when 

 feeding, at which times it comes out of its cover rather boldly and does not 

 exhibit much fear. 



It breeds from July to October, making a small nest of grass on the 

 ground near water, and well surrounded by thick vegetation. It lays as 

 many as seven eggs, which are pinkish stone-colour blotched with pale 

 purple. 



Genus RALLINA, Eeich. 



693. RALLINA EURYZONOIDES. 



THE BANDED RAIL. 



Gallinula euryzonoides, Lafresn. Rev. Zool. 1845, p. 368. Rallus zeylanicus, 

 Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 716. Porzana ceylonica, Bl Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. Beny. 

 p. 285 ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 725 j Hume, S. F. i. p. 440, iii. p. 188 j Bourdillon 

 fy Hume, S. F. iv. p. 405 ; Hume, S. F. vii. p. 465. Rallina ceylonica, Wald. 

 in Bl. B. Burnt, p. 162. Rallina euryzonoides, Tiveedd, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 767 j 

 Legye, Birds Ceylon, p. 772; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 113; Hume $ Marsh. Game 

 Birds, ii. p. 237, pi. ; Gates, S. F. x. p. 242. 



Description. Male. Chin and throat whitish ; with this exception the 

 whole head, neck all round and breast chestnut ; the whole upper plumage, 

 wings and tail rich olive-brown with a ruddy tinge on the back, rump, 

 scapulars and tertiaries j all the quills with white bars on the inner webs ; 

 abdomen, vent, under tail-coverts, sides of the body and under wing-coverts 

 broadly barred with dark brown and white. 



The female differs in having the crown, nape and upperside of the neck 

 of much the same colour as the back. 



Iris blood-red ; base of upper mandible and the greater portion of the 



