196 A MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



134. Eulabeornis castaneoventris. CHESTNUT-BELLIED RAIL. 



Gould, Vol. VI., pi. 78 (pt. xvii.), Dec. 1st, 1844. Mathews, Vol. I., pt. 4, pi. 48, Aug. 9th, 



1911. 



Eulabeornis castaneoventris Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.), 1844, p. 56, Sept. : Flinders 



River, Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. 



Eulabeornis castaneoventris rogersi Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 193, Jan. 31st, 1912 : 



Obagama, North-west Australia. 



Eulabeornis castaneoventris melvilli Mathews, Austral Av. Bee., Vol. I., pt. 2, p. 29, April 



2nd, 1912 : Melville Island, Northern Territory. 



DISTRIBUTION. North Queensland, Northern Territory, North-west Australia (Mangroves 

 only). 



Adult male. General colour above olive, including the hind-neck, back, wings, 

 and tail, with a tinge of rufous-brown on the rump ; inner web of bastard-wing, 

 primary- and secondary -quills chestnut-brown, as also the tail-feathers ; crown of 

 the head, sides of the face, and throat ash-grey ; under-surface of body rich chestnut, 

 deeper in colour on the under wing-coverts and under tail-coverts ; washed with 

 grey on the fore-neck and chest ; thighs ash-grey ; base of bill green, tip horn 

 colour ; iris red ; feet and legs olive-yellow. Total length 537 mm. ; culmen 61, 

 wing 212, tail 136, tarsus 70. 



Adult female. Differs from the adult male in having the upper hind -neck 

 ash-grey like the head, instead of olive like the back. Total length 512 mm. ; 

 culmen 56, wing 206, tail 130, tarsus 66. 



Immature but breeding male. Has iris yellow, slightly mottled with brown. 



Nestling. Appears to be undescribed. 



Nest. Placed on a low slanting mangrove, and built of sticks, with no lining. 

 Placed from 3 to 7 feet from the ground. 



Eggs. Clutch, four ; rather lengthened in form, of a pale pinky-white, spotted 

 all over with reddish-chestnut and lavender, the spots being thinly dispersed ; axis 

 51.5-54 mm., diameter 36.5 mm. 



Breeding-season. September to November. 



Distribution and forms. Northern Australia and Am Islands only. Four races 

 have been distinguished : E. c. castaneoventris Gould from North Queensland ; 

 E. c. rogersi Mathews from North-west Australia, a darker race ; E. c. melvilli 

 Mathews from Melville Island, Northern Territory, still darker both above and 

 below ; and E. c. sharpei Rothschild from the Aru Islands, not darker above but a 

 deeper red below. 



Genus CREX. 



Crex Bechstein, Ornith. Taschenb., Vol. II., p. 336, 1803. Type (by monotypy) : Crtx 

 pratensis Bechstein = Rallus crex Linnet 



Octogometra (recte Ortygometra, p. 59), Foreter, Synopt. Cat. Brit. Birds, p. 27, Dec. 1817. 

 Type (by monotypy) : Rallus crex Linne. 



Sole species similar to members of the genus Porzana, but larger and of stouter 

 build, with a short stout bill and shoit toes ; the bill at the base is more than half 

 its length, and the culmen tapers to a point as it enters the fore-head. The culmen 

 is shorter than the middle toe, which is shorter than the tarsus, while the base of 

 the gonys forms a decided angle. Other characters as in Porzana. 



135. Crex crex. LAND RAIL. 



[Rattus crex Linne, Syst. Nat., 10th 

 limital.] 



Mathews, Vol. I., pt. 4, pi. 50, Aug. 9th, 1911. 

 Rallus featherstonii Buller, Essay Ornith. New Z 

 Zealand. 



DISTRIBUTION. Australia (visitor). One specimen preserved in Australian Museum, Sydney, 



[Rattus crex Linne, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., p. 153, Jan. 1st, 1758 : Sweden, Europe. Extra- 

 limital.] 



Mathews 



Rallus featherstonii Buller, Essay Ornith. New Zeal., p. 18, (pref. dated Feb. 1st) 1865: New 

 Zealand. 



