THE GENUS PORPHYRIO AND ITS SPECIES. 15 



Porphyrio hyacinthinus, Temm. Man. Ornith., Vol. II., p. 698, 

 (1820).— Salv., Ibis. (1859), pp. 357 to 361.— Tristr., Ibis, 

 (I860), pp. 80,159.— Drake, Ibis, (1867), p. 428.— Tacza- 

 now. Jour. fur. Ornith. (1870), p. 54.— Saund., Ibis, (1871), 

 p. 225. 



Porphyrio antiquorum, Bon. Icon. Faun., Ital, p. 72, Tabl. 44. 

 (1832-41).— Gould, B. Eur., pi. 340, Vol. V.— Keyserl. 

 and Bias. Wirbelth. Eur. (1840), p. 68. 



Porphyrio ccesius, Schleg. Mus. Pays B. Ralli., p. 52, (1865). 

 Porphyrio hyazinthinus, Brehm. Jour. fur. Ornith. (1871), p. 34. 

 Had. — Southern Europe, North Africa, Eastern Atlas, (Salvin) ; 



Tuggert Sahara, (Tristram) ; Taugier, (Drake) ; Marshes of 



the Guadalquiver, Majorca, (Saunders) ; Sardinia, (Brooke) ; 



Palestine, ( Tristram) . 



Mr. Salviu states that this species is common at Zana in the 

 Eastern Atlas, but keeps out of sight in the tall reeds, and he 

 imagined it was in the habit of eating the eggs of the various 

 species of Duck which were breeding in the locality ; and 

 Canon Tristram relates that once he saw a bird of this species 

 seize a young duckling in its huge foot, and after crushing 

 the head with its bill, eat the brains, but did not touch the 

 carcase. 



Adult. — Sides of the head, chin, throat, and upper part 

 of breast dark turquoise blue, brightest on the cheeks ; occi- 

 put, back of neck, wings, back and tail, uniform rich dark 

 blue ; lower part of breast, flanks, and abdomen, blackish blue ; 

 under tail-coverts pure white ; bill and head-shield, crimson ; 

 legs and feet, flesh colour. Total length, 19 inches ; wino-, 

 10'75; tail, 4; bill along gape, 1*75 ; width of head-shield at 

 its posterior margin, - 87 inch ; tarsus, 375 ; middle toe and 

 claw, 4'87 inch. 



Young. — Rump dark brown ; flanks brown, mixed with blue ; 

 breast, thighs, abdomen, and vent, brownish white ; rest like 

 the adult. 



3.— Porphyrio bellus. 



Porphyrio bellus, Gould. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1840), p. 176.— 

 Id. Birds Austr., Vol. VI., pi. 70.— Id. Hand-1. B. Austr., 

 Vol. II., p. 322 (1865;.— Gray Gen. B., Vol. III., p. 598.— 

 Schleg. Mus. Pays. B. Ralli., p. 58. (1865).— Finsch, Jour. 

 far Ornith. (1872), p. 182.— Layd., Ibis (1877), p. 363, sp. 

 82. 



Hob. — Western Australia, (Gould.); New Caledonia, (Layard). 



There is no specimen of this species in the Paris Museum, 

 all those from Australia belonging to the P. cyanocephalus, 



