10 THE GENUS PORPHYRIO AND ITS SPECIES. 



are members of Gallinula, Porphyrula, 



8fc. According to the present writers' 



views, but five of the species given 



can be included in the present genus, 



viz., P. veterum, Grnel., P. calvus, 



Vieill., P. poliocephalus, Lath., P. 



melanotus, Temm. ( = P. cyanoce- 



phalus, Vieill.), and P. bellus, Gould. 



No new species are described. 

 1348. — Peale — United States Exploring Expedition, Zoology. 

 The P. calvus, Vieill., from Upolu, of the 



Samoan Islands, and from Viti of the 



Feegee Islands is here named respec- 

 tively P. samcensis and P. vitiensis. 

 1862. — Schlegel — -Museum des Pays-Bas. 

 The P. poliocephalus, Lath., from India is 



named P. neglectus, and Latham's 



species referred to the P. pulveru- 



lentils, Tem., to which, however, it has 



hardly any resemblance. 

 1 868. — Swiuhoe — Ibis. 



A bird observed in captivity at Amoy, 



China, is described as having a 



white rump ! and is called P. coslestis. Species, 8. 



1875. — Hartlaub fy Finsch. — Ornith. Sudsee-Ins. Palau Gruppe. 

 P. cyanocephalus, Vieill., from these islands 



is named P. pelewensis. 

 1876. — Tristram — Ibis. 



P. calvus, Vieill., from the New Hebrides, 



called P. aneiteumensis. 

 1877. — Elliot — Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 



P. edwardsi — from Cochin-China, described Species, 9. 



Classification. 



The species comprising the genus Porp/iyrio belong to the 

 family Rallidce of the order Geranomorpho3, and are placed 

 properly near Notomis with the members of which they are 

 closely allied, differing chiefly in having the middle toe longer 

 than the tarsus. They are also connected to the species con- 

 tained in Gallinula by the birds for which the term Porphyrula 

 has been proposed, and which are intermediate in their 

 generic characters. 



The members of Porphyria have a narrow sternum, with one 

 lengthened emarginatiou, and a weak furcula. The stomach 

 is muscular, the intestines long, and coeca large ; the tongue 

 is thick and fleshy, with a horny tip ; toes long and slender, 



