406 



In my Second Notice of the Birds of the Western Half of 

 the Malay Peninsula, {ante p. 158), I mentioned that we had 

 obtained near Malacca a specimen of Rallina mandekina, 

 Swmh. 



Now, owing to the kindness of my friend Professor Alfred 

 Newton, who has sent me an exact translation of Ljungh's 

 Paper, which I have for years been vainly endeavouring to pro- 

 cure, I am enabled to suggest with much confidence that Ral- 

 lina MANDERiNAj SwinJioe, is nothing but Rallina paykdlli, 

 Jjjimgh. 



The British Museum has apparently* specimens of this latter 

 from both Batavia, (whence came the type) and Malacca. I have 

 manderina from Malacca. Ljungh^s description fits manderina 

 perfectly. I do not think that there can be any doubt as to 

 the correctness of this identification. 



The following is the translation of Ljungh's paper, taken 

 from the '' Kongl. Vetenskaps Akademiens Handlingar, for 

 Ar. 1813" (Stockholm, 1813) p. 258, sent me by Professor 

 Newton : — 



^' A new Bird J ' Eallus payhulli^^ described hy SvEN Ingem4R 

 Ljungh, 21 si July 1813. 



'^ In the collection of birds left by the late Johan Brande, the 

 Provost and Pastor of the Lutheran Church at Batavia, which, 

 by favour of the heir, came into my hands, are many extremely 

 rare species, and some even hitherto altogether unknown. Of 

 the latter, have I now chosen this very pretty Corncrake 

 (Rallus) to give a short description and figure of it to the 

 Royal Academy of Sciences. The genus Rallus is already 

 very large, and Gmelin, in his edition of the Linngean System 

 of Nature, enumerates not less than 31 species in it. Notwith- 

 standing this, however, according to all indications, this species 

 is still undescribed. 



" Prom the notes and statements of Provost Brande, this bird 

 has its home on the Grreat Sunda Island of Borneo, especially 

 near the town of Banjarmasing, and on the Island of Java, 

 particularly round the town of Batavia, in their widely ex- 

 tending rice fields, where morning and evening its remarkably 

 powerful creaking [p. 259] and often repeated note, Haerr, 

 Haerr^ is constantly heard, but it very seldom comes forth to 

 view, and still more seldom lets itself be caught or shot, so 

 that one may, with all means, say of it what the Archiater 

 [Chief Physician] Von Linne, declared of our own Common 



* That is assuming Mr. Gray's identification of the specimens correct. 



