18 MR. A. NEWTON ON THE MAURITIAN WATER-HEN. [Jan. 8, 



in. lin. 

 Lengtli of the fourth finger (from the base of the 



fifth) 7 



of the fourth toe (from the base of the 



fifth) 1 



Total length 8 4 



4. Description of a New Species of Water-Hen (Galli- 



NTJLA) from THE ISLAND OF MAURITIUS. By AlFRED 



Newton, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



A small collection of birds recently sent from Mauritius by my 

 brother, Mr. Edward Newton, Assistant Colonial Secretary in that 

 island, and a Corresponding Member of this Society, contains a single 

 specimen of a Water-hen which I am led to consider as distinct from 

 the common GalUnula chloropus, with which it has hitherto been 

 confounded. To this conclusion I am chiefly induced by the weight 

 I attach to my brother's opinion, which is decidedly in favour of re- 

 garding it as different from oixr own familiar bird ; for, though it 

 must be confessed that the differences observable in the dried skin 

 are but slight, they are perhaps not more so than are to be found in 

 other generally recognized species of the restricted genus Gallinula 

 — as, for instance, Gallinula galeata of the New World and G. tene- 

 brosa of Australia. The peculiarities, however, of the Mauritian 

 hird seem to be constant ; and I may perhaps be excused for stating 

 my belief that in cases where we find an animal from any certain 

 locality always presenting an appearance easily to be recognized, we 

 are justified in distinguishing it by a specific name. 



In addition to the characters of the Mauritian Water-hen, which 

 I shall presently describe, I may add that my brother informs me 

 that its cry is altogether different from that of our own bird, with 

 which he is well acquainted ; and I must remark that this is also the 

 case with respect to the American species {G. galeata). 



Mr. Gould has kindly enabled me to exhibit an example of this 

 new species, which he received through Mr. Barclay from the Mauri- 

 tius many years ago ; and, as may be seen, it exactly resembles my 

 brother's specimen in the pecuharities I have to point out. At the 

 same time I am indebted to Mr. J. H. Gurney for the opportunity 

 of showing that these peculiarities are not shared by the Water-hen 

 of South Africa, as the bird on the table, from the collection recently 

 sent to that gentleman by ]\Ir. C. J. Andersson from Damara Land, 

 does not differ, that I can see, from our own G. chloropus. 



In an admirable series of articles on the ornithology of Madagascar, 

 lately contributed by Dr. Hartlaub to the ' Journal fur Ornithologie,' 

 mention is made of a Gallinula in the collection at Vienna, killed 

 by Bojer on the east coast of that island, which is stated to have 

 " ocherfarbenen Unterschwanzdecken." Hence I should be dis- 

 posed to presume that the Mauritian form is found in the neighbour- 

 ing and larger island, and perhaps indeed is common and peculiar to 



