6 THE GENUS POKPHYRIO AND ITS SPECIES. 



It is possible that a third type of Saya may exist in 8. gange- 

 tica (Jerd., Blyth, Ibis, 1867, 23), of which I quoted the 

 original and only description, S. F., V., 138. This description, 

 however, is so curt and insufficient that the bird referred to may 

 be anything". I have never seen it, and I cannot find auy 

 one who has. It is said to be common along the Upper 

 Ganges, whereby one can only understand the Gauges some- 

 where above Allahabad. Now, from Allahabad to where it 

 becomes the Bhagiruttee {i.e., inside the Himalayas), I and 

 many others have most thoroughly explored the banks of the 

 Ganges, and none of us have met with any Suya. Moreover, 

 throughout its course above Allahabad, the Ganges runs through 

 alluvial plains, while Suya is essentially a genus belonging to the 

 hilly country. I suspect Jerdon made a mistake, as he often 

 did (and as any one else might) when writing letters carelessly, 

 without any books to refer to. I find some faded specimens 

 of Drymoica rufescens, nobis, which answer tolerably, so far 

 as the brief description and dimensions go, to Suya gangetica, 

 and he might have got hold of this, and there are several 

 other birds more or less Snya-like in appearance, which he 

 might have met with. Altogether I consider this species a very 

 doubtful one, and the description, as already remarked, is so 

 very brief and vague, that I hardly think the species deserving 

 of retention on our list. 



A. 0. H. 



>e pirns Joqjljpto aitfr its J^mcs. 



By D. G. Elliot, F.R.S.E., &c. 



The splendid collection of specimens of this genus in the 

 Paris Museum furnished my materials for the present paper, 

 and I would express to Professor A. Milne Edwards my thanks for 

 the facilities afforded me, and for placing at my entire disposal 

 all the examples of Porphyrio under his charge. The collection 

 is rich, not only in number of specimens, but also fortunately 

 possesses them from the majority of places in which this genus 

 has as yet been known to occur ; and I was therefore enabled, by 

 comparing individuals from various and widely-separated locali- 

 ties, to ascertain without difficulty the specific value of different 

 ones from certain islands, which had been described as distinct, 

 and relegate them to their proper position. 



The species included in this Paper possess many and striking 

 characters that separate them from those of all allied genera. 



