310 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the 
Bruijn’s collection from Celebes, after giving some notes on 
the examples of Hypotenidia celebensis in the collection, 
states his belief that the variations thus presented tend to 
confirm Schlegel’s views as to the identity with it of Rallus 
sulcirostris*, But in a subsequently issued article, Count 
Salvadori is inclined to come to a different opinion. In his 
memoir on the new birds of New Guinea and the Papuan 
Islands, published in the same volume+, Count Salvadori 
records the occurrence of three examples of a Rail in the 
Papuan subregion, which he refers doubtfully to Hypotenidia 
celebensis. Two of these were obtained in Salawatti, and the 
third at Dorei-hum, on the north coast of New Guinea. 
Count Salvadori observes that these examples are considerably 
larger than many others seen by him from Celebes. The beak 
especially surprised him by its large dimensions ; the throat 
was of a pure black, without any white spots ; and the white 
remiges below of a more obscure colour. From these differ- 
ences Count Salvadori came to doubt whether the birds did 
not belong to a distinct species, perhaps to H. sulcirostris 
(Wall.), which, contrary to his former opinion, might yet 
turn out to be a good species f. 
In this last view of Count Salvadori’s I fully share. In 
the British Museum there is an excellent skin of R. sulci- 
rostris, besides a mounted specimen in the gallery, being the 
types of the species as described by Wallace. Although, as 
* Ann, Mus. Civ. Genova, vii. p. 677. + Ibid. p. 976. 
{ Since this was written, Count Salvadori has kindly forwarded to me 
one of the Salawatti specimens of this Rail for comparison. While it 
agrees with R. sulcirostris in having the throat black, though this colour 
does not extend quite so far down, it is at once distinguishable by its much 
larger size and its longer, stronger beak. I do not think it can be properly 
associated with R, sucirostris or R. celebensis; but I am of opinion that 
it must stand as a distinct local form of this section, under the name 
Hypotenidia saturata, which Count Salvadori has attached to it in his MS. 
It may be shortly characterized as follows :— 
HYPoTANIDIA SATURATA, Salvadori, MS. 
Similis H celebens?, sed gutture nigro, rostro longiore et fortiore, et corporis 
crassitie majore diversa: long. tota 12:5, ale 6:0, caudee 2:0, tarsi 
2.3 
a ° 
Hab. Ins. Salawatti et Papua borealis. 
