Birds of Celebes : Rallidae. 7 1 7 



The Moor-hen in the Great Sunda Islands is smaller in size than the typical 

 form of Europe and was named orientalis by Horsfield after Javan examples. 

 Dr. Sharpe, working with the splendid series of about 200 specimens from all 

 parts in the British Museum, could not, as might be expected, .draw any hard 

 and fast line between the eastern and western birds and unites them with the 

 remark that "this small race is also prevalent in China". Examples from South 

 and West Africa would also appear to be slightly different from European birds, 

 a little smaller with a larger frontal shield (Dresser IX.). Birds from Mada- 

 gascar and Mauritius have the under tail-coverts more buff and differ also by 

 their cry; these have been named G . pyrrhorrhoa by Prof. Newton. The American 

 Moor-hen, G. galeata Lic.ht., is also scarcely separable from that of the Old 

 World; according to Sharpe it may be recognised by the very distinct white 

 edge to its first primary and its truncated frontal shield. This bird again differs 

 in size in North America, the West Indies, and some parts of South America. 



For habits such standard works as Naumann (II), Dresser f/XJ, Legge 

 (10), and others may be referred to; or it may be watched on most of the 

 ponds and rivers of Europe, where it is not displaced by the Coot. 



GENUS PORPHYRIO Briss. 



The Blue Coots are easily recognisable by their general plumage of blue 

 and brown, and by their stout bills. The bill is somewhat longer than the 

 cranium, in height about half its length, compressed, the nostril round with no 

 appreciable nasal furrow ; a large flat shield on the forehead and crown ; legs 

 large, middle toe much longer than the tarsus, hallux about V:, the length of 

 the lateral toes ; wing moderate, 2"*, S"** and 4"" primaries the longest ; tail about 

 as long as the tarsus. Range: India to Australia, New Zealand and many is- 

 lands of the Pacific; Africa, Madagascar, the Mediterranean countries. 



^309. PORPHYRIO OALVUS Vieill. 

 East-Indian Blue Coot. 



Synonymy for South Celebes specimens: 



a. Porphyrio indicus (1) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, VTU, 92; (2) Tristr., Cat. Coll. B. 18S9, 26. 



b. Porphyrio calvus (1) Sharpe, Cat. B. 1894, XXTTT, 200. 



Diagnosis of adult. Differs from the typical form of Java in not showing so much green 

 lustre on the back, and, apparently, in some other more dubious respects (ex Sharpe). 

 Distribution. South Celebes — Macassar (Wallace a 2, b 1). 



Synonymy for North Celebes specimens: 



c. Porphyrio indicus (Ij Schl., Mus. P.-B., Ralh, 1865, 56; (2j Finsch & Hartl., Orn. 



CentralpoljTi. 1867, 170 (Celebes); (3) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, Vm, 92; (4) Rosenb., 

 Malay. Archip. 1878, 279; (5) Meyer, Ibis 1879, 141; (6) W. Bias., J. f. 0. 1883, 



