24 ..THE GENUS PORPHYRIO AND ITS SPECIES. 



As it is not at all improbable that this species may be found to 

 inhabit some portions of the Tenasserim provinces, I am happy 

 to bring it prominently before Indian Ornithologists, through 

 the medium of the accompanying beautiful plate. 



Adult. — Ear-coverts, lores and space round the eyes, greyish 

 white; back of head, brown, darkest in the centre, where it is 

 almost a brownish-black, with a purple tinge, shading off to a 

 greyish-white towards the head-shield, and the sides of the 

 head ; cheeks, bluish-white ; chin and throat, brownish, with a 

 bluish shade ; back and sides of neck, lower part of breast and 

 flanks, dark violet blue ; front of neck and upper part of 

 breast, shoulders and under wing-coverts, deep turquoise blue ; 

 back, rump, wings, secondaries, primaries and tail, uniform 

 greenish-black ; middle of abdomen and crissum, brownish 

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

 feet, apparently bright red. Total length, 16*25 inches ; wing, 

 1075 ; tail, 4*25 ; bill along gape, 1'25 • width of head-shield at 

 posterior margin, 0*87 ; tarsus, 3*37 ; middle toe, 3*75 ; claw, 

 0*75 inches. 



Young. — Top and back of head covered with downy black 

 feathers; sides of head, grey ; chin and throat, white ; breast, 

 dark turquoise blue ; flanks and abdomen, violet blue ; crissum 

 and thighs, brownish-black, streaked with white • wings and 

 middle of back, greenish-black ; rump, brownish-black ; bill red, 

 with the culmen and spots on the mandible, black ; head-shield 

 small, apparently red. Total length, 105 ; tarsus, 2*75 ; bill 

 at gape, 1 inch. 



9.— Porphyrio pulverulentns. 



Porphyrio pulverulentus, Temm. Plan. Col., Livr. 68. , No. 

 405.— von. Mart. Jour, far Ornith. (1866), p. 29. 



Porphyrio poliocephalus, Schleg. Mus. Pays. B. Ralli., p. 54<. 

 (1865). 



Eab . — Ph ilippines . 



This is a very fine and handsome species, perfectly distinct 

 from the Indian bird, whose name of poliocephahis, Prof. 

 Schlegel has for some unaccountable reason bestowed upon it. 

 The two, when placed side by side, have really no resemblance 

 whatever to each other. The present species is apparently ex- 

 tremely rare in collections, the type in the Leyden Museum 

 figured by Temminck, and a specimen in the Paris Museum, 

 being all that are known so far as I am aware. It is a native 

 of the Philippines, but of which particular island or islands 

 has not yet been ascertained. 



Adult. — Head, neck and breast, greyish-blue, darkest on back 

 of neck ; back, rump, tail and innermost secondaries, dark red- 



