712 OREX PORPHYRIO 



Hob. Europe generally, including even the outlying Hebrides, 

 nearly up to the Arctic Circle ; Africa, south to the Cape Colony 

 in winter ; Asia, east to the Yenesei and possibly to the Lena, 

 south through Persia to Muscat ; of doubtful occurrence in 

 Northern India ; has strayed to Greenland, Bermuda, and the 

 east coast of North America. 



Frequents fields, meadows, and lowlands, and though seldom 

 seen, its harsh grating note is often heard. It runs with ease 

 and celerity, but is averse to take wing. It feeds chiefly on 

 insects of various kinds. Its nest is a mere depression in the 

 soil, usually in a cornfield or meadow, and is very scantily lined 

 with grass-bents, and its eggs, 8 to 12 in number, are usually 

 deposited in June, and are like those of R. aquaticus, but paler 

 in ground-colour and more profusely marked, and measure 

 about 1'48 by 1/04. 



PORPHYRIO, Briss., 1760. 



994. PURPLE GALLINULE. 



PORPHYRIO OffiRULEUS. 



Porphyrio cceruleus (Yandelli), Flor. and Faun. Lusit. etc. i. p. 37 (1797) ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mtis. xxiii. p. 194 ; P. hyacinthinus, Temm. 

 Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 698 (1820) ; Gould, B. of E. iv. pi. 340 ; 

 P. veterum, Dresser, vii. p. 299, pi. 500 (nee. Gmel.) ; Lilford, iv. 

 p. 146, pi. 62. 



Camao, Portug. ; Gallo azul, Calamon, Span. ; Polio sultano, 

 Ital. ; Kazir, Moor. 



$ ad. (Spain). Upper parts rich deep blue ; quills on the inner webs 

 and tail-feathers bluish black ; sides of head, chin, throat, and upper 

 breast rich turquoise-blue ; rest of under parts blackish blue, except the 

 under tail-coverts, which are white ; frontal plate and bill bright sealing- 

 wax red ; legs flesh-red ; iris lake-red. Gape 1'7, wing 9'5, tail 4'1, 

 tarsus 3 '5, middle toe with claw 4'8 inch. Sexes alike. The young bird 

 has the upper parts bluish slate-grey, the rump slaty blackish, the sides of 

 head dull ashy grey with a bluish tinge ; chin and upper throat ashy 

 white ; rest of under parts dull bluish slate tipped with ashy grey, the 

 middle of abdomen whiter, the under tail-coverts white. 



Hob. South Portugal and Spain, rare in Southern France 

 and Italy ; Sardinia and Sicily ; rarer further east, though 

 found as far as Mesopotamia ; North-west Africa. 



In habits it somewhat resembles the Coot, and frequents 

 similar localities, marshy places and the shores of lakes where 





