MARTINICO PORPHYRIO. 
253 
Gallinula Martinica. Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 769. 
Porphyrio minor? Briss. Orn. 5, 52Q.pl. 42. f. 2? 
La petite Poule-Sultane. Buff. Ois. 8. 206. 
Martinico Galliuule. Lath. Gen. Syn. 5. 255. pi. 88. Lath^ 
Syn. Sup. 258. 
Gallinula Porpliyi'io. Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ix. p. 67. pi. Ixviif. 
/.2. 
" Length about twelve inches: beak thirteen lines 
long, yellow, with a red base : forehead bald and 
blue: irides red: the plumage in general of a fine 
glossy green ; but the head, neck, and under parts 
are of a changeable blue : the vent white : quills 
and tail dusky, edged with green : legs yellow : toes 
very long and slender." Latham gives the above 
description of this species, and to it adds the follow- 
ing remark : "I have seen many of these birds, both 
from Cayenne and the West India Islands, all of 
which answered to the above description, except one, 
which had the upper parts of the plumage blue-green, 
tinged with brown : the crown of the head brown : 
beneath white : a little mottled with black in the 
middle of the belly, and greatly so across the lower 
part of the neck, just above the breast : chin quite 
white : legs brown." He suspects this to be the op- 
posite sex, and adds, that they have been brought 
alive to England, and fed on rice, bread, lettuces,, 
and such like food, and bore confinement well. 
