PURPLE GALLINULE. 639 
female differs not from the male, which exceeds the Partridge, but is 
inferior toa domestic Hen, The Marquis de Nesle brought a pair 
from Sicily, where they are known under the name of Gallofagiani ; 
they are found on the Lake Lentini, above Catana, and are sold for a 
moderate price in that city, as well as in Syracuse and the adjacent 
towns. They appear alive in tie public places, and plant themselves 
beside the sellers of vegetables and fruits to pick up the refuse ; and 
this beautiful bird, which the Romans lodged in their temples, now 
experiences the decline of Italy.” 
The length of the Purple Gallinule is fourteen inches ; its bill is an 
inch and a quarter long, red, yellow at the tips; nostril, small, oblong, 
and near the centre of the bill; irides, tawny; the naked front and 
crown are red; the head, part of the neck, throat, and breast are of a 
rich violet purple; the back and scapulars, brownish green; rump, 
tail, and its coverts, of a duller brownish green ; the sides of the neck, 
ultramarine ; wings, the same, tinged with green; the inner webs of 
the quill-feathers and tail, dusky brown ; upper lining and side lining 
of the wings, under the spurious wing, rich light blue; the belly, 
thighs, and for an inch behind, dull purplish black; the vent pure 
white ; tail, rounded ; thighs, legs, and feet, red; span of the foot, fiv= 
inches ; hind toe and claws, long. 
It is somewhat remarkable that Turton, in his translation of the 
Systema Nature, should have perpetuated the error of arranging the 
Gallinules with the Coots, under the generical appellation of Fulicu, 
to which they have but little resemblance in their habits, and none in 
the conformation of their feet. As he professed to have been assisted 
by the works of Dr. Latham, one would suppose that the classification 
of the latter, especially in this instance, would have been adopted. 
In Mr. Peale’s collection there is a Gallinule which resembles the 
above in every respect, except its being considerably smaller. 
The bird, from which our drawing was taken, came from the state 
of Georgia, and is deposited in Peale’s Museum. It is reduced, as 
ae the rest of the figures in the same plate, to one half the size 
of life. 
Since writing the above, I have been informed by Mr. Alexander 
Rider, the painter, who accompanied the late Mr. Enslen in his 
botanical researches through the United States, that they observed the 
Purple Gallinule in a thick swamp, a short distance from Savannah, 
Georgia. It was very vigilant and shy, and was shot with much diff. 
culty. It is very probable that it breeds there, as the nature of the 
swamp favors concealment, of which this bird appears to be fond. 
Mr. Abbot, of Georgia, likewise informs me, that this species fre- 
quents the rice-fields and marshes in the lower parts of the state; it 
is rare, he having met with only three specimens; he has no doubt 
that it breeds there. He says that when the bird is living, the naked 
crown is of a bright blue, and the legs yellow ochre. We were neces- 
sitated to take our description, and to color our figure, from the stuffed 
specimen in Peale’s Museum, and it is possible that we may have been 
in error with respect to those parts. In Mr. Wilson’s drawing, they 
were colored as we have described then - 
