THE GENUS POItPHYMO AND ITS SPECIES. 17 



Porphyrio aneileumensis, Tristr., Ibis. (1876), p. 265, sp. 



24. (ex New Hebrides). 

 ZZa&.— Java, Sumatra, (Cassin) ; Celebes, Timor, Banda, (Wal- 

 lace) ; Bouru. (Hoedt.) ; Samoan Islands, Feejee Islands, 

 (Peale); Kalai, (Graff e) ; Tongatabou, Savai, Ovalou, 

 (Hartl. and Finsch) ; Opalou (Voy, Astrolabe), New 

 Hebrides, ( Tristram. ) 

 This species is generally known as Porphyrio indicas of 

 Horsfield, but it was described two years previously by Vieil- 

 lot, (1. c.) as. P. calvus, which is the name it should pro- 

 perly bear. The specimen in the Paris Museum, which I 

 believe is Vieillot's type, came from Java. It is mounted, and 

 of rather smaller dimensions than other examples from that 

 island, but as this species varies greatly in size among the 

 adult birds, even from the same locality, its measurements can- 

 not be regarded as of any specific importance. 



The P. calvus has received many names, some bestowed on 

 account of the greater or less size among individuals, or from 

 some slight and really unimportant variations in the hues of 

 certain parts of their plumage. But when a fair series of these 

 birds is compared, of individuals coming from many and even 

 far distant localities, it is readily perceived that neither the 

 dimensions nor colour of plumage are reliable, and that gra- 

 dations from one so-called species to another are readily ob- 

 tained. The most prominent synonyms of the P. calvus, be- 

 sides indicus of Horsfield, are samoensis and vitiensis, Peale, 

 and the lately-described aneiteumensis, Tristram, from the New 

 Hebrides. With examples before me from Java, Celebes, 

 Tonga, Viti, Upolu, and Samoa, I can perceive no cha- 

 racters that indicate, more than one species, although the 

 measurements among them are different, and the hues of their 

 plumage vary slightly ; but these are not confined to indivi- 

 duals from any particular locality, for birds from one island 

 will vary from each other, especially in size, to a greater 

 degree than they do from those of a different island. Mr. 

 Cassin decided (1. c.) that the samoensis, Peale, was the same 

 as the P. calvus, (called by him P. indicus), judging from 

 Peale's types then before him ; but permitted vitiensis to 

 stand solely on account of its small size. Messrs. Hartlaub 

 and Finsch also admit vitiensis as a distinct species, but not 

 for its size, [which they say cannot be considered as a specific 

 character, for while some are smaller than P. indicus (P. 

 calvus), others are larger ! ], but on account of differences in its 

 colouration, which " readily distinguish it." 



In vitiensis, according to these authors, the mantle and the 

 back are dark olive brown, with olive green reflexions, while in 



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