PLATE IX. 



GENUS GALLINULA (Brisson). 



THE true GallinulcB, of which the British Moorhen ( G. chloropsis ) is a good type, are commonly found 

 all over the world, except in Australia, where the genus is represented by a peculiar species. 



GALLINULA TEXEBROSA (Gould). 



SOMBRE GALLINULE. 



AS far as observation and research have yet penetrated, this bird seems to be very local in its haunts, 

 but is otherwise widely distributed over the Eastern Continent. It affects the sedgy banks of 

 rivers, creeks, and waterholes. 



This Sombre Gallinule is easily distinguished from any other members of the family by the total 

 absence of white marks on the flanks. It is also a good deal larger than the Moorhen of Europe, and the 

 garter above the knee is more vividly coloured. The egg, too, has distinctive characteristics, for Mr. 

 Campbell (who was the first to describe it) writes that the " egg more resembles that of the Coot in shape, 

 colour, and character of markings than any others of the family. Ground colour, dull white, with a very 

 faint greenish tinge, mediumly marked with round spots of pinkish-red and purple, also very minutely 

 speckled all over with the same colours. Length, 1 inch 10 lines; breadth, 1 inch 4 lines. 



In an appendix (1888) to his pamphlet, Mr. Campbell has recorded some further interesting notes. 

 " With the assistance of my friend Mr. R. C. Poole, of Metung, Gippsland," he says, " I have been able 

 to record a few interesting facts concerning this waterhen. In the most beautiful of all the lakes — Lake 

 King — there are several arms of brackish creeks running a quarter of a mile or so into an elevated sloping 

 shore clothed with timber and thick scrub, and margined with ti-tree or melalenca and sedgy flags. These 

 creeks afford a serene and natural retreat for several pairs of Gallinule. In the smallest creek, about 12 

 yards from where Mr. Poole moors his boats, and about 100 yards from his dwelling, two pairs of birds 

 have taken up their quarters, and have become very tame, so that Mr. Poole experienced no difficulty in 

 observing some of their habits. They have been there for the last three seasons. He kindly forwarded 

 me a pair of eggs, one of which was figured in ' Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds ' (vide No. 567). 

 However, our great Australian ornithologist took exception to the figure. This season the old nest was 

 reconstructed, and the strangest part of the affair is that the two pairs each laid eight eggs in it, although 

 the task of incubating the combined batches appeared to devolve upon one pair only. Mr. Poole kindly 

 secured a pair from each set. One pair was similar to that already described by me, while the other had 

 stouter ovals, ground colour of a warm stone, and with the markings of reddish-brown, much larger, and 

 in the form of larger patches here and there. Removing the eggs in no way inconvenienced the birds ; in 

 fact, it was rather the reverse, because one bird had much difficulty to or could scarcely cover the whole 

 sixteen eggs. In about three weeks most of the remaining eggs were hatched, the chickens being attended 

 to by both pairs of old ones. 



" The breeding season appears to be between the months of November and December, and probably 



January. 



" Last Christmastide I visited the locality, accompanied by another field naturalist. In a neigh- 

 bouring creek, ' in the cause of science,' we rudely disturbed their wanton quietude by shooting a brace of 

 birds and by taking a nest containing eleven fresh eggs. The eggs were of a type between the two sets 

 from Mr. Poole's nest, being longish ovals, slightly compressed towards the smaller end, and of a dullish 

 grey stone colour, mediumly marked with round spots of purple and purplish red. Dimensions, 2 inches 

 by 1 inch 4 lines. 



