268 KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 
Suspramity GALLINULINZ. Gatuinutes. 
Genus IONORNIS Rercu. 
IONORNIS MARTINICA (Zzzz.). 
Purple Gallinule. 
Adult male: Head, neck, and under parts bluish 
purple, grading into black on the belly; above olive; 
wing coverts bluish ; back olive; crissum white; frontal 
plate of the bill blue; bill red tipped with yellow; legs 
yellow. 
Length, 11; Wing, 6.50; Tail, 2.65 Tarsus, 2.30. 
This species is resident in Florida and 
has been taken on the Atlantic coast as far 
north as Maine. Ranges in winter to the 
West Indies and Northern South America. 
The eggs are eight to ten, pale buffy white, dotted with brownish. The 
nest is a mat of grass on reeds or in marshes. 
Genus GALLINULA Brisson. 
GALLINULA GALEATA (Licht). 
Florida Gallinule. 
Head blackish; bill tipped with green, rest of bill 
and frontal plate deep red; upper back slaty; lower 
back and wings olive brown; under parts dark slate 
color ; lower belly grayish ; feathers faintly tipped with 
white ; some of the feathers on thesides having the 
inner webs white near the tip, giving the appearance 
of white stripes; under tail coverts black; 
tail white and black; legs olive green, reddish 
near the body. 
Length, 13; Wing,6.60; Tail, 3.10; Tarsus, 
23 Bill, including frontal shield, 1.75; Bill, 
vd from gape, 1.25. 
Ranges throughout temperate and tropical America 
from Canada to South America. It is a common resi- 
dent in Florida and has been known to breed as far 
north as Maine. The nest is built in marshes, being a mass of grass or 
