BLACK-BACKED PORPHYRIO. 
259 
Porphyrio Maderaspatanus. Briss. Orn. 5, 543. 
Crex ludica. Raii, Syn. 194. ^j^. \ .f. 4. 
L'Angoli. Bitf. Ois. 8. 205, 
Madras Gallinule. Lath. Gen. Syn. 5. 253. 
A LARGE species, the size of a Duck : its beak and 
legs are rather long : the bare space on the forehead 
is white : the upper parts of the plumage are fine 
ash colour ; the quills are edged with black : the sides 
of the head, and the under parts of the plumage are 
white : at the lower part of the neck are several 
crescent-shaped black spots : the tail is short. 
Found in the vicinity of Madras, and at Malabar. 
BLACK-BACKED POlirHYRIO. 
(Porphyrio melanotus.) 
Po. rostro fronte pedibusque coccineis, dorso alls remigibus cau- 
ddque splendide nigris^ corioore siibtus pallidiore, collo pectore 
hypochondriisque cceruleis, iectricibus caudes inferioribus albis. 
Porphyrio with the beak, front, and legs crimson, the back, 
wings, quills, and tail glossy black, with the body beneath 
paler, the neck, breast, and flanks blue, the under tail-covei ts 
white. 
Televe ^ manteau noir. (Porphyrio melanotus.) Temm. man. 
d'Orn. 2 Edit. ii. 701. 
Length about seventeen inches : the beak, frontal 
plate, legs, and toes fine crimson-red: the back, 
mantle, wings, quills, and tail beautiful glossy black : 
the head, cheeks, middle of the l)clJy, and the thighs 
