122 RALLIDa. 



Genus TRIBONYX, JDu Bus. 

 Tribonyx mortieri, Bu Bus. 



Tribonyx mortieri, Gould, Sandfi. Birds Austr. ii. p. 324 (1866) ; Campbell, 

 Nests Sf Eggs Austr. Birds, p. 60 (1883) ; Nmih, Nests 8r Eggs 

 Austr. Birds, p. 324, pi. xix. fig. 4 (1889) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. 

 xxiii. p. 164 (1894) ; id. Hand-l. i. p. 106 (1899). 



The sole egg of Mortier's Tribonyx in the Collection is a regular 

 oval, with little gloss, and of a buff colour sparingly marked with 

 round specks and spots evenly distributed over the whole shell. 

 The underlying markings are of a pale purple, and the surface- 

 markings of a chestnut-brown, colour. On close examination, the 

 egg is found to be also dusted with very minute dots of purple and 

 reddish brown. It measures 2*25 by 1-5. 



1. Tasmania. Gould Coll. 



Genus MICROTEIBONYX, Shar^pe. 

 Microtribonyx ventralis {Gould). 



Tribonyx ventralis, Gould, Handh. Birds Austr. ii. p. 325 (1865) ; 



CampbeU, Nests Sr Eggs Austr. Birds, p. 60 (1883) ; North, Nests ^ 



Eggs Austr. Birds, p. 324, pi. xvii. fig. 4 (1889). 

 Microtribonyx ventralis, Sliarpe, Cat. Birds B. M. xxiii. p. 165 (1894) ; 



id. Hand-l. i. p. 107 (1899). 



Of the two eggs of the Black-tailed Tribonyx in the Collection, 

 one is a regular oval, the other a narrow ellipse. Both are fairly 

 glossy and of a bluish-green colour, sparingly marked with round 

 and oval spots and blotches. The shell-markings are very pale 

 purple ; the surface-markings are dull rufous brown. In one 

 specimen there are, in addition, chiefly at the larger end, several 

 fiiie lines of the latter colour and the whole shell is, moreover, 

 very finely stippled with pale rufous. They measure respectively : 

 1-9 by 1-2 ; 1-85 by 1-2, 



2. S. Australia. Gould 'Coll. 



Genus PAREUDIASTES, Hartl. ^ Finsch. 



Fareudiastes pacificus, M. Sf F. 

 (Plate IX. fig. 6.) 



Fareudiastes pacificus, Whttmee, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 184 ; id. Ibis, 1875, 

 p. 446 ; Sclater, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 605 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. 

 xxiii. p. 166 (1894) ; id. Rand-l. i. p. 107 (1899). 



The sole egg of the Samoan Gallinule in the Collection is of a 

 narrow oval form. The ground is creamy-white and this is marked 

 with numerous spots of reddish brown and purplish brown, together 

 with some pale purple underlying blotches. The markings of both 

 kinds are more numerous at the larger end than elsewhere. It 

 measures 1'8 by 1"25.- 



1. Samoa, Oct. (S. /. Whitmee). P. L. Sclater, Esq. [P.]. 



