Oeder GRALL.E.] [Pam. BALLID^E. 



ORTYGOMETBA TABUENSIS. 



(SWAMP-CRAKE.) 



Tabuan Rail, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. pt. 1, p. 235 (1785). 



Ballus tabuensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 717 (1788, ex Lath.). 



Grex plumbea, Gray, in Griffith's Anim. Kingd. iii. p. 410 (1829). 



Gallinula immaculata, Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 358 (1837). 



Ballus minutus, Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 178 (1844). 



Corethrura tabuensis, Gray, Gen. of B. iii. p. 595 (1846). 



Zapomia sjiilonota, Peale, U. S. Expl. Exp. p. 244 (1848). 



Porzana immaculata, Gould, B. Austr. vi. pi. 82 (1848). 



Porzana tabuensis, Hartl. J. f. O. 1854, p. 169. 



Zapomia umbrina, Cass. Pr. Phil. Acad. viii. p. 254 (1856). 



Zapomia umbrata, Hartl. Wiegm. Arch. 1858, p. 29. 



Ballus minor, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7470. 



PorzanaX tabuensis, Gould, Handb. B. of Austr. ii. p. 341 (1865). 



Ortygometra tabuensis, Finsch. & Hartl. Beitr. Faun. Centralpolyn. p. 167 (1867). 



Zapomia tabuensis, Gray, Hand-1. of B. iii. p. 63 (1870). 



Native names. — Pueto and Putoto. 



Ad. supra obscure chocolatinus, alis dorso concoloribus, primariis nigricantibus, extus dorsi colore lavatis : 

 cauda nigricante vix dorsi colore lavata : pileo sordide plumbescente, obscure brunneo adumbrate, facie 

 laterab paullo pallidiore : corpore subtus sordide cinereo, hypochondriis crissoque obsolete, subcaudali- 

 bus latius et rnagis conspicue albo transfasciatis : subalaribus cinerascenti-bruuneis albo variis : rostro 

 nigricanti-brunneo : pedibus pallide rubris : bide saturate rubra. 



Adult. Head, neck, and all the under surface dark slate-grey, shaded on the crown with dull brown, and 

 fading into light cinereous grey on the chin ; the whole of the back and upper surface of wings choco- 

 late-brown, becoming darker on the rump and upper tail-coverts; wing-feathers blackish brown, dusky 

 grey on their under surface; the first primary narrowly margined on the outer web with greyish white; 

 tail-feathers dull brownish black ; inner lining of wings slaty brown, largely varied with white ; axillary 

 plumes and feathers covering the flanks tinged with brown, the former presenting obsolete bars and the 

 latter minutely tipped with white ; under tail-coverts dark brown, with numerous transverse bars of 

 white. Irides and eyelids bright red ; tarsi and toes paler red ; bill uniform brownish black. Total 

 length 7*25 inches ; wing, from flexure, 3"3 ; tail 2 ; bill, along the ridge '7, along the edge of lower man- 

 dible - 8; bare tibia - 4; tarsus 1 ; middle toe and claw 1*4 ; hind toe and claw l - 55. 



Young. Plumage darker and with less brown on the upper parts. Irides, bill, and feet black. 



2 B 



