Birds of Celebes: Rallidae. 



711 



^305. AMAURORNIS MOLUCCANA (Wall). 

 Plumbeous-breasted Water-hen. 



a. Gallinula olivacea (1) Schl. (nee Meyen), Mus. P.-B., Ralli, 1865, 43. 



b. Porzana moluccana (1) Wall., P. Z. S. 1865, 480. 



c. Gallinula ruficrissa (1) Gould., Ann. & Mag. N. H. 1869, (4) IV, 110; (IIj id., B. Austr. 



Suppl. pi. 79 (1869); (3) Ramsay, Tab. List 1888, 21; (4) North, Nests & Eggs 

 B. Austr. 1889, 326. 



d. Gallinula frankii (1) ScliL, Notes Leyden Mus. 1879, I, 163. 



Amaurornis moluccana (1) Salvad., Atti Ac. Sc. Tor. 1879, XTV, 944; (2) id., Orn. Pap. 

 1882, ni, 276; (3j Meyer, Isis, Dresden 1884, 6, 55; (4) "W. Bias., Ornis 1888, 

 638; (5) Heine &Rcliw., Nomencl. Mus. Hein. 1890, 317; (6) Salvad., Agg. Orn. 

 Pap. 1891, 197; (7) Sharpe, Cat. B. 1894, XXTH, 153, 338; (8) Madar., Aquila 

 1894, 105. 



For further synonymy and references cf. Salvad. 2, 6\ Sharpe 7. 



Figure and descriptions. Gould c II; Wallace b 1; Schlegel d 1; Salvador! 2; Sharpe 7. 



Scarcely adult. Above olive-bistre, brighter on rump, tail and scapulars; jugulum, breast 

 and sides plumbeous mouse-grey, paler and browner on face, whitish on chin and 

 upper throat; abdomen white, passing into cinnamon on the under tail-coverts, 

 darker and browner on flanks and thighs; under wing-coverts and remiges 

 below brownish slaty (Siao: Meyer — C 889). "Iris brown; cere green; bill and 

 feet brown" (Batjan — Platen). Another specimen labelled "Sangir Id." (collector 

 unknown — C 10508) is adult and has the sides of the body browner. 



Three examples from the Moluccas (1 Hahnahera, 1 Batjan) have the throat 

 slaty like the bi'east. A whitish throat is held by Dr. Sharpe to be a sign of 

 immaturity. 



Measurements. 



Bill from 

 forehead 



a. (C 889) vix ad., Siao (M.) 147 57 52 58 27 



b. (C 10508) ad., "Sangir Id." 145 50 60 64.5 32 



c. (0 891) Q ad., Halmahera (M.) 141 56 50.5 5? 29.5 



d. (C 6876) cf ad-, Batjan, 1. VTH. 84 (Platen; . 146 58 53.5 57.5 31 



e. (C 12455) ad., "Moluccas" 1867 142 59 56 61 31.!) 



The species shows great variation in size. 

 Egg. Dull white, finely freckled all over with hght chestnut-red markings, a few subjacent 

 ones nearly obsolete: 40.6 X 30.5 mm (New Britain — ex North c 4). 



"The eggs from New Britain resemble those of Halites aquaticus, except that 



they are somewhat more strongly spotted, and measure 39 X 28 mm" (Nehrkorn MS.). 



Distribution. Siao (Meyer 3); Moluccas — Halmahera, Ternate, Tidore, Batjan, Amboina 



(f. Salvador! 2); Papuasia — Mysol, New Guinea, Duke of York, New Britain 



(f. Salvad. 2]\ Sta. Anna, Solomon Is. (Macdonald 6); Queensland (Ramsay etc. c 3). 



The occurrence of this Water-hen in the I.sland of Siao may be compared 

 with that of Columba alhigularis, a species of somewhat similar distribution, which 

 has straggled to Tagulandang. The Siao skin, as Meyer has already pointed 

 out (3), shows certain differences, but these, as was then suggested, may be due 

 to immaturity; the specimen is not fully adult. 



