



Plate LIT. 



PORZANA MELANOPH^EA. 



(EED-VENTED CRAKE). 



Ypecaha pardo obscuro 

 Hallus melanophaius 

 Corethrura melanoplicea 



Crex lateralis 

 Gallinula lateralis 

 Ortygometra lateralis 

 Gallinula albifrons 



Azara, Apunt. iii. p. 230, No. 376. 



Vieill. N. D. xxviii. p. 549, et Enc. Meth. p. 1064. 



Hartl. Ind. Az. p. 24. 



Gray, Gen. iii. p. 595. 



Licht. Doubl. p. 79. 



Max. Beitr. iv. p. 805. 



Burm. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 387. 



Sw. An. in Menag. p. 338. 



Euscescenti-olivacea, alis extiis et dorso postico obscurioribus : subtus alba, lateribus cervicis et pectoris cum crisso 

 toto rufis ; hypocbrondriis albo nigroque transfasciatis : rostro olivaceo apice flavicante ; pedibus pallide corylinis : long, 

 tota 6 - 3, alas 3*1, cauda? 1'5, tarsi 1*25, rostri a rictu 0*8. 



Hob. in Brasil. merid. (Burmeister) : Paraguaya (Azara) : Bolivia, Chiquitos (_D' Orbigny) : Venezuela, Cumana 

 (Beaupertliuy), Caracas, (Levraud). 



This well-known Crake appears to be widely spread over South America, as will be seen 

 by the list of localities above given. It was first described by Azara, as an inhabitant of 

 Paraguay, where, however, it does not appear to be very abundant. In the wood region of 

 South-Eastern Brazil it is certainly a common species, many specimens being met with in the 

 ordinary sets of birdskins sent from the vicinity of Eio and Bahia. In the marshes of this 

 district also the Prince Max of Neuwied met with it, but gives us few particulars as to its 

 habits, merely mentioning that it has a light flight and that its flesh is good to eat. 



During a recent examination of the specimens belonging to this family of birds in the 

 collection of the Jardin des Plantes we found skins of this species marked as having been 

 obtained by d'Orbigny in the province of Chiquitos in Bolivia, and by M. M. Beauperthuy, 

 and Levraud in Venezuela. The extension of its range so far northwards indicated by the 

 two latter localities is a new fact to us, and seems somewhat strange, when we consider that 

 the bird is not known to occur in Guiana nor in any part of the great basin of the Amazon. 



Our figure of P. melanophcea is taken from a specimen in the collection of Messrs, Salvin 

 and Godman which is of the ordinary Brazilian "make" and is probably from Eio or Bahia. 



July, 1868. 



[107] 



