GALLINULE. 
Gallinula alba, Jad. Orz. ii. p. 768. 8. 
White Gallinule, Phi. Bot. Bay, t. p. 273.—White’s Fourn.t. p. 238. 
IZE ofa Hen; length two feet: bill very ftrong, and much the 
fame in fhape and colour as in the Purple Gallinule: a bare red 
fpace in like manner is alfo on the crown: irides red: round the eye, 
the fkin vifible through the flender covering of feathers: the whole of 
the plumage in general-is of a pure white: legs red: claws brown: 
at the bend of the wing a fharp fpur. 
Some of thefe, fuppofed to differ in fex, are of a bright blue between 
the fhoulders, and fpotted on the back with the fame. 
Thefe inhabit Norfolk I/land, and are there very common; are ex- 
ceedingly tame, infomuch as to be eafily knocked down with a ftick. 
They feéd on various things, and have mofre'than once been obferved 
to be content with the ejected food of the Booby, It is much to be 
fufpected, that this is no other than a cafual variety of the Purple 
fpecies, and the more {o, as that bird is in fufficient plenty in Zongo- 
taboo, Tanna, and other iflands of the Pacific Ocean, independent of 
_ Fava, Madagafcar, and various parts of the Ea Indies, as well as 
China. 1 have likewife obferved fome fpecimens, which appeared to 
belong to this fpecies, in which the plumage was of a general brown 
colour, with a ftrong glofs of blue and green when expofed to different 
reflections of light, and fuch I apprehend to be young birds not yet 
having attained their ftate of perfection. 
327 
Qa 
WHITE 
G. 
DEscRierion, 
PLACE. 
