638. Porphyrio Pulverulentus, Temm., PL 



Col. 405 ; Cuv., Vol. 3, p. 414. 



BLUISH-GREY ; back, rump, and secondaries, olive-brown ; 

 vent white ; frontal plate produced behind the eyes ; bill and 

 feet red ; wings ashy-blue." 



South Africa. Griffiths, Cuvier, loc. cit. I have not seen it from- 

 South Africa, but it is a well-known Indian species ; and I fancy Cuvier 

 has mistaken the next species for it. 



639. Porphyrio Erythropus, Shaw, VoL 12, 



p. 255 ; Fulica Porphyrio, Linn ; Gallinula Porphy- 

 rio, Lath. ; P. Madagascariensis, Lath. ; P. Smarag- 

 notus, Temm. ; G. Poliocephala, Lath. 



HEAD, hind part of neck, and wing-feathers, glossy-violet ; 

 back and rump, dull glossy- green ; cheeks, throat, fore part 

 of neck, and under part of body, violet-blue ; tail dull-green ; 

 vent-feathers pure white ; legs, bill, and frontal shield, bright- 

 crimson. Length, 17" ; wing, 9" ; tail, 3". 



The " Blue Gallinule " is generally distributed throughout the colony, 

 frequenting vleys and large ponds. It breeds in such places among 

 reeds, forming a, large nest of sedge, and depositing from six to ten 

 eggs, of a ruddy-brown, spotted with dark purple-brown : axis, 2" 2"' ; 

 diam., 1" 6'". 



Genus GALLINULA, Brisson. 



Bill moderate, with the base of the culmen more or less 

 extending on the forehead, and suddenly curved at the tip ; 

 the nostrils placed in a large nasal groove, with the opening 

 near the middle of the bill ; wings moderate, with the 

 second, third, and fourth quills nearly equal and longest ; 

 tail short and rounded ; tarsi strong, shorter than the middle 

 toe, and broadly scutellated in front ; toes very long, divided 

 at the base, margined throughout their length by a mem- 

 brane, and the outer longer than the inner. 



640. Gallinula Chloropus. (Linn.) Lath, PL 



Enl. 877 ; Fulica Fusca, Linn. ; Moorhen or Water- 

 hen, Bewick's Brit. Birds, p. 148; Gould's Birds of 

 Eur, PL 342. 



UPPER parts, dull greenish-brown ; under parts, dark slate- 

 colour ; head and neck darkest ; vent white ; as are also 

 some stray feathers on the flanks and in the centre of the 

 belly. In some specimens the slate- coloured feathers of the 



