78 



BIRDS OF BRITISH GL'IANA. 





Yicr. 14. — To show the frontal shield. 



Kei/ to the Species. 



A. Larger, wing inore than loO mm. ; under 



surface jiurplish blue /. martinica, p. 78. 



B. Smaller, wing less than 150 mm. ; under 



surface white with a slight wash of pale hlue 



on the foi'e-neck I.Jiavirostris, p. 79. 



47. lonornis martinica. 

 Purple Gallinule. 



lonornis martinica (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 2o9, 17G6 ("Martinica3 

 inundatis") ; Beebe, Our Search for a Wilderness, p. 878, 1910 

 (Abary Biver) ; Brabourne & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 26, no. 2.59, 

 1912. 



Porpliyrio martinicus Cab. in Schomb. Reis. Guian. iii. p. 761, 1848 ; 

 Salvin, Ibis, 1886, p. 177 ; Quelch, Timehri (2) v. p. lU7, 1891 

 ( Georgetown ). 



Forphyriola martinica Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 189, 1894 

 (Demerara). 



Blue Moorhen {Qiielch). 



Adult female. Back, wings, and tail bluish green, brighter and 

 more blue on the upper wing-coverts ; quills brown on the inner 

 webs; head, neck, and under surface purplish blue; under wing- 

 coverts and axiHaries like the mantle ; lower abdonion and thighs 

 dull black ; under tai!-coverts white. " Bill red, green at the 

 point ; toes yellow ; frontal shield sky-blue. '' 



Total length 285 mm., bill from gape 31, wing 170, tail C9, 

 tarsus 57, middle toe and claw 74. 



Adult male. Similar to the adult female. 



The female described was collected on the Abary River in 

 June 1891. 



Young birds are distinguished from the adults in being much 

 less bright above and having the under .surface and sides of (ace 

 buff colour. 



