190 Mi.L4.YAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



Erythra phcrnicura (Penn.). 



The White-breasted Water-hen, though by no means rare, is 

 not very often seen, owing to its extreme shyness ; it frequents 

 thick covert near water. At Singapore I occassionally saw it in 

 the hedge-rows near the lake in the Botanical G-ardens^ 



During November, 1879, I shot several specimens on Pulau 

 Batam ; also during 1877 I got many in Perak and Larut. One 

 of the Pulau Batam birds was 12 inches in length ; beak yellowish 

 green, reddish on the ridge ; legs dull green ; tarsus 2J ; upper 

 plumage dull bluish black with a slight green tinge ; face, throat, 

 and breast pure white; vent and under tail-coverts chestnut. 

 This specimen, being immature, had the irides brown : in the 

 adult they are deep crimson. I once saw one these birds settle 

 on the upper branches of some trees ; but they were of no height, 

 about ten or twelve feet at the outside. 



Porzana clnerea (Vieill.). The Small Water-Bail. 



I never came across this Rail on the mainland ; but on Singapore, 

 in certain localities, notably the Mount Echo valley, they were 

 very plentiful, particularly during September and October; but 

 perhaps being out Snipe-shooting a great deal during those 

 months I noticed them more than at other times, when I did not 

 pass so much time in their resorts. 



My notes are as follows : — 



"Singapore, 7th October, 1879. Passed the afternoon Snipe- 

 shooting in the Mount Echo valley, wading through the swampy 

 grass-fields knee-deep in the most horrible filth — the sewage of 

 Singapore, which is carried out from the town in large wooden 

 tubs by the Chinese coolies and emptied over the fields as manure. 

 The smell is most disgusting ; but the valley being capital collect- 

 ing-ground, in spite of the deep wading and unsavoury odours, I 

 frequently pay it a visit. 



"To-day I got some Snipe {Gallinago stenura), Bitterns (Ardetta 

 cinnamomea), Golden Plover (Charadrius fulvus) and smaller 

 Bails (Porzana cinerea) ; these last were very plentiful in the 

 deepest parts of the swamp, and nearly every bush held one. 

 When flushed they flew with a weak flight, with their long legs 

 trailing behind them, for about fifty yards, then dropped and ran 



